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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 Sort ascending Year Type of development Thematic area Development Source
Sweden Flag Sweden 2022 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions Following a decision of the new Swedish parliament, the annual refugee quota was reduced from 5,000 to 900 resettled refugees for 2023. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Sweden Flag Sweden 2022 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Swedish Migration Agency issued a legal position on the relevant time for determining the age of an applicant or a sponsor, in particular in cases of family reunification. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Sweden Flag Sweden 2022 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The government appointed an inquiry commission to assess making language knowledge and knowledge of the Swedish society requirements for acquiring permanent residence in Sweden. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
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 2022 Policy Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The Swedish Migration Agency published a legal comment on detainees who are or will be subject to another form of deprivation of liberty (RK/001/2022). EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Sweden Flag Sweden 2022 Policy Detention Detention during the asylum procedure As part of the Swedish Migration Agency policy to increase detention capacity, a new detention centre with 114 places was opened in Mölndal. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Sweden Flag Sweden 2022 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A new government bill was presented on the distribution of housing across the country to host displaced persons from Ukraine. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Sweden Flag Sweden 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The Swedish Migration Court of Appeal introduced an e-service to facilitate the submission of documents to the court by state administrative authorities. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Sweden Flag Sweden 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Swedish Migration Agency published a new legal position on the assessment of applications for international protection lodged by Syrian nationals. The SMA considered that Syrians summoned for military service or who deserted ran a general risk of persecution. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Sweden Flag Sweden 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Swedish Migration Agency published a new legal position on the examination of protection needs of Somali nationals. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Sweden Flag Sweden 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Asylum Seeker (LMA)-cards were digitalised to include a QR code for the validity period, and a case-handling system was further developed for increased usability. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Sweden Flag Sweden 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Swedish Migration Agency updated its legal position on Iraq on 1 July 2022, following closely the latest EUAA Country Guidance on Iraq. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Sweden Flag Sweden 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A new legal position (RS/089/2021) was published on the examination of protection needs for citizens from Afghanistan, in particular on the situation of women and girls. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Sweden Flag Sweden 2022 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The Swedish Migration Agency approved a new legal position (RS/010/2022) related to Dublin transfers by which it continues to suspend transfers too Hungary as long as the situation persists. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A legal position was published on public assistants, outlining the requirements to be appointed by the Swedish Migration Agency. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Swedish Migration Agency updated its legal position in the assessment of applications from Syria. EASO Asylum Report 2021
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
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Swedish Migration Agency updated its legal position on the situation in the Tigray region in Ethiopia. (The legal position was repealed in 2021 and is no longer in force.) EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Swedish Migration Agency updated its legal position on the security situation in certain parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Swedish Migration Agency updated its legal position on the assessment of applications from Turkish citizens. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Swedish Migration Agency updated its legal position on the assessment of applications from Afghan citizens, based on revised country of origin information. The security situation was assessed to be largely unchanged and the legal position includes slight adjustments. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Swedish Migration Agency updated its legal position from 2015 on the investigation and assessment of a future risk of persecution for applicants claiming asylum due to sexual orientation or gender identity. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Sweden Flag Sweden 2019 Institutional Country of origin information Country of origin information The COI Unit became part of the newly-established Section for Information Analysis of the Swedish Migration Agency. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Sweden Flag Sweden 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Swedish Migration Agency issued a new legal position on statements by children in which it clarified the circumstances when and the ways in which children should be heard during the asylum procedure. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Sweden Flag Sweden 2019 Institutional Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Swedish Migration Agency decided to restructure its head office which would be effective in 2020, as well as restructuring and reducing the regions from five to three. The number of full-time equivalent employees was also decreased from 5 842 to 5 096. EASO Asylum Report 2020