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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 Sort descending Type of development Thematic area Development Source
Hungary Flag Hungary 2019 Institutional Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Hungarian Immigration and Asylum Office (IAO) was transformed into the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (NDGAP) and is now under the management of the Police. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Applicants and tolerated persons became entitled to student benefits, and exclusion from the relevant study support under the Twelfth Book of Social Code is no longer applicable to them. DE LEG 02 2019
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Beneficiaries of international protection are in principle obliged to take up residence and are entitled to integration services in the federal state where their asylum procedure was conducted. The foreigners’ authorities of the federal states are obliged to bear the integration costs for three years. DE LEG 05 2019
Greece Flag Greece 2019 Legislative Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Social Solidarity in Greece issued several ministerial decisions throughout the year related to the registry of professional guardianship, guardian selection criteria, training and the procedures for the assessment and determination of the best interests of the child. EL LEG 06 2019, EL LEG 07 2019, EL LEG 08 2019, EL LEG 09 2019
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2019 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A separate decision in writing on issuing or renewing a foreigner’s registration certificate is no longer required. LT LEG 01 2019
Croatia Flag Croatia 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection An amendment of an ordinance clarified the rules on the absence of an applicant from the reception facility. HR LEG 03 2019
France Flag France 2019 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure A decree clarified the role and tasks of the préfectures concerning the Regional Dublin Procedural Hubs. FR LEG 01 2019
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants Further improvement to the AZR is foreseen to better monitor voluntary departure. DE LEG 01 2019
Malta Flag Malta 2019 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Office of the Refugee Commissioner started implementing changes to reporting on case allocation and backlog. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Sweden Flag Sweden 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The government provided funding to increase the length of civic orientation from 60 to 100 hours. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Sweden Flag Sweden 2019 Policy Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The Swedish Migration Agency launched a portal allowing legal counsellors to submit appeals against first instance decisions electronically. Another pilot continued, in cooperation with the Swedish National Courts Administration, to digitally transfer appeals between the agency and the courts. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Croatia Flag Croatia 2019 Policy Access to information Access to information The Office for Human Rights and Rights of National Minorities updated its “Guide for Integration – Basic Information for the Integration of Foreigners into Croatian Society”. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Finland Flag Finland 2019 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The AMIF-funded PSYYKE project was launched to train reception staff on mental health work and draft a mental health work manual for the reception system. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Finland Flag Finland 2019 Policy Access to information Access to information The website, Asylum in Finland, maintained by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, was improved. New information leaflets and videos with simple terminology were developed for applicants in the framework of the AMIF-funded ONE project. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2019 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Asylum Service was reinforced with additional staff in order to manage the increasing pressures on the asylum and reception systems. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance BAMF implemented the XAVIA project to ensure that all information related to asylum cases is shared electronically among public authorities. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection Changes in the procedure to grant a residence permit for persons in a distressing situation were implemented (among others) with the abolishment of the discretionary power of the Minister for Migration and by mandating the Managing Director of the IND to consider ex officio within the first assessment of the application whether a distressing situation exists. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Norway Flag Norway 2019 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs introduced a proposal to amend the Social Services Act, which would make financial assistance for third country nationals conditional on being enrolled in language training. NO LEG 02 2019
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Institutional The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The German Dublin Unit within BAMF became responsible for deciding on the admissibility of applications when the applicant is already a beneficiary of international protection in another Dublin state. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Austria Flag Austria 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection Withdrawal procedures remained a priority for the BFA. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection All applicants became entitled to participate in an integration course after nine months of stay and they will have access to employment-related language courses after having registered as job seeker at the federal employment agency. This opportunity was previously reserved for applicants with high chances of recognition. Tolerated persons may participate in employment-related German courses after six months of tolerated stay. DE LEG 04 2019
Greece Flag Greece 2019 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The new law provides new time limits to submit appeals, schedule hearings on appeal depending on the day of the submission of an appeal, and issue appeals decisions. It provides for the suspensive effect of appeals for deportation, readmission and return procedures. EL LEG 05 2019
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2019 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Information related to the lodging and examination of an application for asylum may be classified in accordance with the procedure established by the Law of the Republic of Lithuania on State Secrets and Official Secrets. LT LEG 01 2019
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection For the purposes of family reunification of beneficiaries of international protection, it is clearly stated now that family ties must precede the foreigner's entry into the country. BG LEG 01 2019
Finland Flag Finland 2019 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants A subsequent application no longer prevents the enforcement of a removal decision if the subsequent application is deemed to be inadmissible and was submitted only for the purpose of delaying or impeding a removal. FI LEG 01 2019