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.
 

Flag Country Year Type of development Thematic area Development Source
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2023 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The authorities adopted a circular for the implementation of the accelerated procedure, pending the amendment of the Law on Asylum and Refugees. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2023 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A third safe zone for unaccompanied minors fleeing Ukraine was being constructed in the Harmanli reception centre. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2023 Policy Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Authorities proposed the adoption of a new methodology for age assessments, following EUAA guidelines. The methodology is planned to be piloted from March 2024. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2023 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure Staff members in the Dublin unit were assigned specific tasks to avoid each officer following up on all aspects of the Dublin procedure. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2023 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Authorities started preparations for the adoption of two lists with designated safe countries of origin and safe third countries. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Belgium Flag Belgium 2023 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The pilot project ‘Tabula Rasa’ was launched to maximise the number of decisions and eliminate the backlog. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Belgium Flag Belgium 2023 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services The code of ethics for interpreters was updated. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Belgium Flag Belgium 2023 Policy Access to information Access to information A campaign was set up to combat irregular migration from Guinea in response to their increased number of applications. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Belgium Flag Belgium 2023 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The CGRS published a new policy in January 2024 on the security situation in Somalia to guide the assessment of applications for international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Belgium Flag Belgium 2023 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Council of Ministers approved the draft law to amend the law on the reception of asylum seekers. The right to material assistance will end with a final negative decision in the international protection procedure. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Belgium Flag Belgium 2023 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The START section was created within the CGRS, where all newly-recruited case officers will start their career with 6 months of training, followed by integration into existing sections or units. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Belgium Flag Belgium 2023 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The CGRS suspended the examination of cases and notification of decisions for applicants from Gaza and the West Bank between October 2023 and January 2024. Exceptionally, positive decisions for refugee protection and inadmissibility decisions for persons with a protection status in another Member State continued to be pronounced. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Belgium Flag Belgium 2023 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Fedasil and the Auxiliary Fund for Health and Invalidity Insurance launched a new project to simplify and digitalise the billing system for applicants’ medical support. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Belgium Flag Belgium 2023 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions Alongside the Community Sponsorship Programme, which has been running in Belgium since 2020, Fedasil launched an initiative in 2023 to find new partners to provide reception support, including housing, to resettled refugees. Various partnerships were signed in 2023, and the process of finding new partners continued in 2024. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Belgium Flag Belgium 2023 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance In March 2023, the CGRS adjusted its procedure to enable applicants to submit documents by email. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Belgium Flag Belgium 2023 Legislative Statelessness in the context of asylum Statelessness in the context of asylum The Council of Ministers approved a draft legislation which would become law in early 2024, setting up a specific procedure and a specific legal right to stay for stateless people, provided they have involuntarily lost their nationality, cannot obtain or retrieve one, and prove they cannot receive a residence permit in any another country. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Belgium Flag Belgium 2023 Institutional The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The Immigration Office’s Dublin Unit was restructured in 2023, creating additional sub-divisions and further dividing tasks. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Belgium Flag Belgium 2023 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The Flemish region of Belgium introduced an obligatory, standardised Dutch language test for newcomers, including beneficiaries of international protection, as part of civic integration courses. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Belgium Flag Belgium 2023 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Around 2,000 additional places were established in the reception system. The search for new centres continued throughout the year. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Belgium Flag Belgium 2023 Policy Access to information Access to information The Fedasil Info Point was reopened in 2023 next to the Bordet reception centre with expanded tasks to support applicants residing outside of the reception network, migrants in transit and people without a legal residence. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Belgium Flag Belgium 2023 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Fedasil increased the number of reception places for unaccompanied children. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Belgium Flag Belgium 2023 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Council of Ministers approved a royal decree which obliges applicants who work to contribute to reception costs. In addition, applicants who are in a stable and sustainable professional situation with high salaries can be asked to leave the reception network. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Belgium Flag Belgium 2023 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The Council of Ministers approved a reform package on the migration model. It would codify in national law that the Immigration Office can extend the timeline for a Dublin transfer from 6 to 12 months when the applicant is detained in a penal institution, and to 18 months when the person has absconded. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Belgium Flag Belgium 2023 Legislative Interpretation services Interpretation services Amendments to laws were prepared on the recruitment and status of interpreters. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Belgium Flag Belgium 2023 Legislative Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The Council of Ministers approved the creation of a separate residence right for parents when their children qualify for international protection but they themselves do not. EUAA Asylum Report 2024