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National Asylum Developments Database

 

The National Asylum Developments Database presents legislative, institutional and policy developments related to asylum since 2018.

Searches can be narrowed down by:

  • Country
  • Year
  • Type of development: legislative, institutional or policy 
  • Thematic area: access to procedure, access to information, legal assistance and representation, interpretation services, special procedures, procedures at first instance, reception of applicants for international protection, detention, procedures at second instance, country of origin information, statelessness in the asylum context, content of protection, return of former applicants, resettlement and humanitarian admission programmes.

Details on each development and further analysis can be consulted in the Asylum Report series.
 

Types of policies and practices reported in the National Asylum Developments Database

The National Asylum Developments Database can be searched by institutional, legislative and policy changes. There are three types of policy developments:

Policies and practices related to the integrity of national asylum systems aim to swiftly identify unfounded asylum applications and ensure that financial, human and administrative resources are not dissipated on such claims. These measures involve efforts to rapidly establish an applicant’s identity, including age, country of origin, travel route and security concerns if any. These facts help to better assess the credibility of the applicant’s statements and determine whether beneficiaries of international protection are still in need of protection. The prevention of unintentional misuse of the asylum procedure and its integrity are also supported by the provision of information to asylum applicants and beneficiaries of international protection on their respective rights and obligations and related procedural arrangements.

Policies and practices that improve the efficiency of national asylum systems include digitalisation and the use of new technologies in the framework of asylum, prioritising or fast-tracking applications, the re-organisation of the procedure itself or implementing changes in the number of staff employed.

Policy and practice aiming to enhance the quality of national asylum systems contribute to increasing fairness, integrity and efficiency. Quality assurance systems, guidance materials and capacity-building measures typically pay off on the initial investment and efforts. The initiatives include staff training, revising existing guidance materials and monitoring the quality of the decisions delivered.

The database presents validated factual information and does not imply any endorsement from the European Commission or EUAA.

Flag Country Year Type of development Sort ascending Thematic area Development Source
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The Aliens Circular was amended to specify that a foreigner can be detained for a short period to investigate the person’s identity and their lawful status in the country. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Slovakia established a new quality assurance mechanism for the asylum procedure, to be carried out every 6 months or on an ad hoc basis. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Training on working with unaccompanied minors was offered to reception centre staff. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Sweden Flag Sweden 2022 Policy Information provision on the asylum procedure Information provision on the asylum procedure The Swedish Migration Agency expanded its services in 11 new locations, where employees informed applicants about procedures and regulations, and supported them in navigating the agency’s website. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Sweden Flag Sweden 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Since 1 January 2019, Sweden does not recognise the validity of child marriages from abroad, so the agency updated its standards for handling cases related to married child applicants and developed relevant information material in collaboration with the National Board of Health and Welfare. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Norway Flag Norway 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The authorities in Norway launched the website, Asylbarn, dedicated specifically for children in the asylum procedure. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Belgium Flag Belgium 2019 Policy Access to information Access to information Fedasil launched a multi-lingual information platform for applicants for international protection, www.fedasilinfo.be, accessible only from Belgium and available in 12 languages. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Finland Flag Finland 2019 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A survey commissioned by the Ministry of the Interior in 2018 was finalised, examining the asylum procedure as a whole (including the practices of the administrative courts) and cooperation between the different authorities. EASO Asylum Report 2020
France Flag France 2019 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants Three new centres for DRAPs (dispositifs de préparation de l’aide au retour) were opened. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Belgium Flag Belgium 2019 Policy Access to procedure icon Access to procedure Fedasil made improvements to the arrival path in the temporary arrival centre in Brussels, rendering registration and lodging procedures quicker and more efficient. EASO Asylum Report 2020
France Flag France 2019 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Interviewing practices were adjusted so the presence of only one lawyer or representative of an accredited association is authorised, and trainee lawyers and interns are prohibited from accompanying their supervisor. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2019 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The “Description of the Procedure for Accommodation of Asylum Applicants” clarified that costs exceeding the rates defined in the document might be covered by funds from international organisations, the European Union, non-governmental organisations or private entities. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Belgium Flag Belgium 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The State Secretary for Asylum and Migration announced the recruitment of 700 new staff for the CGRS, the Immigration Office and Fedasil and published a vacancy notice in June 2021. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Bulgarian State Agency for Refugees monitored throughout 2021 the implementation of amendments from 2020 related to the representation of unaccompanied minors in the asylum procedure. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Finland Flag Finland 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Immigration Service suspended the pronouncement of negative decisions on removals to Afghanistan on 9 July 2021. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Norway Flag Norway 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Directorate for Integration and Diversity, in cooperation with municipalities, carried out for the first time a survey on the experiences of participants in the introduction programme. EASO Asylum Report 2021
France Flag France 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Ministry of the Interior published an action plan to strengthen support for applicants and beneficiaries of international protection with vulnerabilities. The plan lists 10 action points for improved identification and support for special needs. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Swedish Migration Agency published its legal position on the derivative status in asylum cases. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Iceland Flag Iceland 2021 Policy Statelessness in the context of asylum Statelessness in the context of asylum The country acceded to the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, and the Directorate of Immigration adopted a Standard Operation Procedure, developed in cooperation with UNHCR. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Swedish Migration Agency published a new legal position on interviewing children. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Specific implementation guidelines to improve the quality of first instance decisions were sent to police headquarters (questure) and Territorial Commissions by the National Commission for the Right to Asylum. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Finland Flag Finland 2020 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services The Tulppaani project developed a quality control model for interpretation during asylum interviews, using peer-to-peer review, random checks and new guidelines for interpreters. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Latvia Flag Latvia 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Asylum authorities considered that there was no need to provide the personal interview if the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs had proof to grant refugee status. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Ireland Flag Ireland 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Applicants living in reception centres became entitled to the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Malta Flag Malta 2021 Policy Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs A standard form was optimised to submit a subsequent application to further streamline the process. EUAA Asylum Report 2022