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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 Sort descending Country Year Type of development Thematic area Development Source
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A draft decree would revise and shorten the Dutch regular asylum procedure from 8 days to 6 days. The draft underwent a public consultation process by the end of November 2020. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The New Civic Integration Law entered into force, where newcomers under an integration obligation are guided through the process by municipalities. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The time limit for deciding on an application for international protection was extended by 9 months. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure New, simplified information material was prepared for illiterate persons and persons who cannot read and write in the Latin alphabet. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The coalition agreement foresees changes in the financing of the reception system, to make it more efficient. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The Aliens Circular set in law the practice that an applicant is under the duty to provide all information that might potentially influence the asylum application, which includes criminal past, acts that might fall under the Geneva Convention, Article 1F and any measures that other Member States might have imposed on the person. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The Minister for Migration announced that the Track 1 procedure, which was established for applicants in the Dublin procedure, would be standardised and made more efficient. In addition, applicants in the Dublin procedure are planned to be offered more moderate material reception conditions, in line with shorter processing times which are foreseen. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Access to procedure icon Access to procedure Several measures were introduced to speed up the registration process of certain profiles (Afghan evacuees, family members arriving through family reunification and applicants with appointments) and alleviate pressure on the central reception facility in Ter Apel. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Content of protection Content of protection Temporary measures aimed to restrict family reunification until 31 December 2023. A visa was only issued to a family member when the assigned municipality notified that suitable accommodation had been found for the recognised beneficiary and the family members planning to join. Following Council of State rulings, the measure was abolished in February 2023. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2019 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The project, Participation and Language, was extended to all reception centres (AZC). EASO Asylum Report 2020
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The introduction of the new civic integration system is further postponed and it is foreseen to be launched on 1 January 2022 instead of 1 July 2021. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The policy was adjusted on the assessment of the cases of persons from Turkey, who are active in politics, journalism or human rights. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The State Secretary for Justice and Security announced that the so-called guest arrangement (logeerregeling) for beneficiaries of international protection will continue and is planned to be expanded. Under this arrangement, beneficiaries of international protection may volunteer to be placed with a host family, family or friends, while they are in wait for their definitive housing arrangement. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The time limit for announcing the exact date of the forced removal is shortened from 48 hours to 36 hours (Article A3/6). The announcement can be omitted if there is a risk that the prior announcement would endanger the safety or health of the person or the family members. If the departure cannot take place, a new option is sought, and if the removal can take place within 2 days from the original date, a new prior notice is not necessary. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Managing applicants with disruptive behaviour remained a priority, and a National Coordinator for Managing Disruption was established to coordinate among different stakeholders and ensure consistency across various measures. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2019 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The law proposal to amend the Aliens Act (Vw) established a legal basis for border detention after rejection of an asylum application. NL LEG 04 2019
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Country of origin information Country of origin information The IND published new work instructions on the use of sources and country of origin information in the asylum procedure. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The simplified procedure (Track 2), equivalent to the accelerated procedure, was extended to other categories of applicants. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure New, simplified information material was prepared for illiterate persons and persons who cannot read and write in the Latin alphabet. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Legislative Statelessness in the context of asylum Statelessness in the context of asylum The draft law on the statelessness determination procedure was presented to the Dutch parliament. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A portal was launched for asylum lawyers, allowing them to rapidly check the status of a case, easily upload documents and safely exchange data EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2019 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants An amendment to the Aliens Circular (Vc) was enacted: while in principle after the rejection of the first asylum application a departure period is granted, exceptions to the rule were extended concerning (among other things) apparently unfounded applications and applications predominantly based on socio-economic grounds. NL LEG 02 2019
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The new Civic Integration Law entered into force on 1 January 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The COA and the National Council on Swimming Security signed the National Action Plan of Swimming Security for Asylum Seekers. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The registration process was reorganised and separate streams were set up in specific locations for Afghan evacuees and for persons arriving through family reunification. EUAA Asylum Report 2022