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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 Type of development Thematic area Development Source
Malta Flag Malta 2022 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Immigration Act was amended on the rules for appointing interim guardians for prohibited migrants who claim to be minors. The CEO of AWAS may again appoint a guardian. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Malta Flag Malta 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The International Protection Agency sampled cases for quality assurance. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Malta Flag Malta 2022 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The International Protection Act was amended to clarify the criteria for exclusion from subsidiary protection, the criteria for considering an application manifestly unfounded, the subsequent application procedure, the application procedure for children in need of care and the procedure for temporary humanitarian protection (a national form of protection). EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Malta Flag Malta 2022 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Amendments to the International Protection Act enables an appeal against a decision by the International Protection Agency which terminates refugee or subsidiary protection, except in cases where the beneficiary has renounced protection or become a Maltese national. The competence of the International Protection Appeals Tribunal now covers an ex nunc examination of the appeal. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2022 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure A bill proposed the introduction of non-negligible risk of absconding as a reason for detention, specifying in what cases this risk is presumed. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2022 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The list of safe countries of origin was amended through the Grand-Ducal Regulation of 23 January 2023. Ukraine and Croatia were removed from the list and the name of the Republic of North Macedonia was adapted. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2022 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure A bill was introduced to the parliament proposing to extend the possibility of administrative detention to any illegally-staying foreigner who needs to be forcibly removed, including EU citizens and their family members who were issued a removal order. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2022 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Luxembourg increased its reception capacity to 5,126 beds at the end of 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2022 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure Amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Foreigners aimed to speed up the appointment of a legal guardian for an unaccompanied minor, due to the influx of unaccompanied minors from Ukraine. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2022 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The right to appeal directly to the Vilnius Regional Administrative Court and thereafter to the Supreme Administrative Court was reinstated in Lithuania. The preliminary stage of disputing a Migration Department decision before the Migration Department Commission was abolished. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Migration Department introduced measures to address the high-level of staff turnover. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2022 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The concept for a new reception and accommodation model (the idea of creating a new model) was approved in Lithuania, and the Ministry of the Interior started the preparations for the necessary legislation. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2022 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Foreigners came into effect, noting additional grounds for the detention of asylum applicants during a state of emergency or an extreme situation due to a mass influx. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2022 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure Amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Foreigners came into effect, noting that during a state of emergency or an extreme situation due to a mass influx, foreigners may lodge an application for international protection from abroad within consular posts designated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Additional amendments were passed when an application is considered to be lodged under this procedure, when the Border Guard should still accept applications for international protection from persons who have crossed the border in an irregular manner, and circumstances when the application is not accepted. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Latvia Flag Latvia 2022 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The state of emergency was extended at the Latvian-Belarusian border. Applicants can only submit applications for international protection at official border crossing points or detention facilities. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Latvia Flag Latvia 2022 Institutional Information provision on the asylum procedure Information provision on the asylum procedure The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs developed new leaflets and piloted a hotline to provide information on the asylum procedure. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Latvia Flag Latvia 2022 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Internal Regulation No 23.1-8.2/12 of the State Border Guard entered into force, defining the actions to take if minor children arrive with a detained adult asylum seeker. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Italy Flag Italy 2022 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The use of quarantine vessels was extended until the end of May 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Italy Flag Italy 2022 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure A new circular clarifying the connection between an application for a special protection permit (a national form of protection) and the Dublin procedure was published. It states that an application for special protection should be deemed inadmissible if the applicant has also applied for international protection and is involved in a pending Dublin procedure. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Italy Flag Italy 2022 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure A Plan for Unaccompanied Minors was adopted, following the arrival of Ukrainian children. It was regularly updated throughout the year to address arising concerns. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Italy Flag Italy 2022 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The new National Plan for the Integration of Beneficiaries of International Protection 2022-2024 was adopted. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Italy Flag Italy 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Clerks were deployed to support judges assigned to the specialised section on migration, with the objective of reducing the backlog at second instance. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Italy Flag Italy 2022 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection A circular simplified the procedure for a refugee to marry in Italy: documentation from the country of origin is no longer needed. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Italy Flag Italy 2022 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Italy revised its list of safe countries of origin, de facto suspending Ukraine. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Italy Flag Italy 2022 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The National Association of Employment Agencies and four trade unions signed an agreement to facilitate the labour market integration of beneficiaries of international protection and of national forms of protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2023