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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
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2019 Institutional Content of protection Content of protection The Department of Integration was created within the Ministry of Family Affairs, Integration and the Greater Region. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Malta Flag Malta 2019 Institutional Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance A new chamber was created within the Refugee Appeals Board. EASO Asylum Report 2020
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
Greece Flag Greece 2019 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Several new changes were brought with the new law: specific profiles will be prioritised, subsequent applications should be examined within five days (or two days for a removal procedure), the vulnerability assessment is only intended to trigger the provision of reception needs and prioritise the application but does not exempt the applicant from specific procedures, and the reception and identification procedures were organised into five stages. EL LEG 05 2019
Greece Flag Greece 2019 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Joint Decision on the implementation of exceptional border procedures. EL LEG 03 2019
Greece Flag Greece 2019 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Decision on the restriction of movement of applicants of international protection and subsidiary protection recipients. EL LEG 02 2019
Greece Flag Greece 2019 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Decision on the procedure for issuing travel documents to refugee beneficiaries. EL LEG 01 2019
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The act introduced the tolerated status related to employment (Beschäftigungsduldung) for persons who can cover their own living costs and are well integrated. The criteria include: at least of 12 months of tolerated status (Vorduldung), clear identity, in employment for at least 18 months working at least 35 hours a week, stable livelihood and sufficient language knowledge. DE LEG 06 2019
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The scope of tolerated status related to education was extended and includes education and training for care services (Helfer- und Assistenzausbildungen) in occupations with shortages of employees. Tolerated persons receive a two-year residence permit if they directly continue to work upon completing their education. DE LEG 06 2019
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Labour market tests are no longer applied for the employment of foreigners whose removal has been suspended or applicants who have a permission to stay pending the asylum decision. DE LEG 05 2019
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The residence regulation applicable to a beneficiary can only be lifted when the relevant authority at the place of originally-assigned residence gives its explicit agreement. DE LEG 05 2019
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The amended law underlined that authorities are obliged to ensure that minors have access to education and care services in a federal state. DE LEG 05 2019
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The act clarified that this rule also applies to unaccompanied minors who reach the age of majority. DE LEG 05 2019
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The new act clarified that if the reason for an applicant to move to another federal state becomes obsolete three months from the move, then the first federal state must continue to bear integration costs for three years. DE LEG 05 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
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The unemployment benefit may be paid during the period of the integration course or the employment-related language course, when the federal employment agency considers participation in such courses necessary for the sustainable labour market integration. DE LEG 04 2019
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The law facilitates access to vocational training for all persons with a right to work in Germany, regardless of the initial residence circumstances of the person concerned. DE LEG 04 2019
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
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A new paragraph was added in the Asylum Act (Article 44(2a)), underlining that federal states are obliged to provide reception conditions ensuring the protection of women and other vulnerable applicants. DE LEG 03 2019
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Access to information Access to information The Asylum Act was complemented with Article 12a, which regulates the modalities of BAMF counselling on asylum procedures for applicants. DE LEG 03 2019
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
Belgium Flag Belgium 2019 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Persons already benefitting from international protection in another EU Member State no longer receive material reception conditions. Dublin applicants who absconded and re-applied for reception after six months were also no longer entitled to material reception conditions. Fedasil evaluates these rejections on a case-by-case basis, taking into account any specific vulnerabilities of the applicant. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Croatia Flag Croatia 2019 Policy Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation The AMIF project, “Providing legal advice in the process of granting international protection”, was implemented as of 1 April 2019. 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 Applicants undertaking voluntary work may keep EUR 200 of volunteer allowance, in addition to the benefits granted under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act. DE LEG 02 2019