|
Lithuania |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
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 |
|
Lithuania |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Detention during the asylum procedure |
Non-cooperation with authorities during the asylum application became a ground for detention. |
LT LEG 01 2019 |
|
Lithuania |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Access to procedure |
The Migration Department took over some tasks from the police and, for example, applicants can now lodge an application directly with the institution rather than the police. The initial interview with the applicant is obligatorily recorded (video or audio) and attached to the personal file. The department can now also issue a Certificate of Acceptance of an Application for Asylum, confirming an applicant’s status and serving as a Foreigners’ Registration Certificate, pending the issuance of the latter. |
LT LEG 01 2019 |
|
Lithuania |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The Migration Department may take joint decisions on asylum applicants of the same family (previously they were always taken jointly), provided that a joint decision does not disclose personal circumstances of an applicant which could pose a threat to best interests. |
LT LEG 01 2019 |
|
Latvia |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Statelessness in the context of asylum |
New legislation provides citizenship automatically to children born to non-citizens in the country, unless the parents have agreed to grant to the child citizenship of another country. |
LV LEG 01 2019 |
|
Italy |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
Within the Protection System for Beneficiaries of International Protection and Unaccompanied Foreign Minors (SIPROIMI), the Ministry of the Interior in Italy allocated funds to finance projects, organised by local authorities, related to unaccompanied minors. |
IT LEG 04 2019 |
|
Italy |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to process asylum applications |
New Inter-ministerial Decree defined a list of safe countries of origin. |
IT LEG 03 2019 |
|
Italy |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to process asylum applications |
The decree identified border or transit zones in several provinces and established two additional sections of the Territorial Commissions in Apulia and Sicily. |
IT LEG 02 2019 |
|
Italy |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Access to procedure |
A new security decree adopted by the Council of Ministers stated that boats suspected of facilitating irregular migration may be refused entry into Italian ports and boats violating the ban could face substantial fines and be seized by the authorities. |
IT LEG 01 2019 |
|
Ireland |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Return of former applicants |
Section 3(1) of the Immigration Act 1999 was amended to confirm that the Minister’s power to make a deportation order is subject to the prohibition of refoulement set out in the Immigration Act 1999, Section 3A. The Minister for Justice and Equality clarified that this legal amendment corrected a gap in the law. |
IE LEG 01 2019 |
|
Hungary |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Detention during the asylum procedure |
An amendment entered into force which added new criteria for compulsory confinement of third country nationals under the Aliens Policing Procedure. |
HU LEG 03 2019 |
|
Hungary |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The Hungarian Government extended the time limit of Government Decree 41/2016 (III. 9.) stating that there was a continued state of crisis caused by mass migration. |
HU LEG 02 2019 |
|
Hungary |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
Government Decree 277/2018 (XII. 21.) entered into force, modifying Government Decree 114/2007 (V. 24.), which clarified the types of administrative actions that the Aliens Police can carry out in the absence of a legal guardian when the applicant is an unaccompanied minor. |
HU LEG 01 2019 |
|
Greece |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
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 |
|
Greece |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
The new law requires beneficiaries of international protection to leave the reception facility two months from recognition instead of the previously-applicable six months, at which point social welfare support would also cease. |
EL LEG 05 2019 |
|
Greece |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
The length of residence permits for beneficiaries of subsidiary protection was decreased to one year (from three years), renewable for two years. |
EL LEG 05 2019 |
|
Greece |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
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 |
|
Croatia |
2019 |
Institutional |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
A Governmental Inter-Agency Committee for the Protection of Unaccompanied Children was established. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Greece |
2019 |
Institutional |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The Ministry on Migration and Asylum was re-created, after merging with the Ministry of Citizen Protection in July 2019. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Greece |
2019 |
Institutional |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The Ministry of Citizen Protection and the Ministry of Migration Policy were merged into a new Ministry of Citizen Protection. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Germany |
2019 |
Institutional |
|
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 |
|
Croatia |
2019 |
Institutional |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The Croatian Ministry of the Interior formed the Directorate for Immigration, Citizenship and Administrative Affairs, including the Sector for Foreigners and International Protection, which is divided into a Service for Foreigners, a Service for International protection (responsible for the International Protection Section, Dublin Procedure Section and the Integration Section) and a Service for the Reception and Accommodation of Applicants for International Protection (responsible for reception centres in Zagreb and Kutina). |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Austria |
2019 |
Institutional |
|
Return of former applicants |
A new Department for Return and Reintegration (V/10) was established as part of Section V in the Federal Ministry of the Interior. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Austria |
2019 |
Institutional |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The new Section V (Immigration) was established within the Federal Ministry of the Interior after an organisational restructuring. The new section brings together resources and knowledge on affairs related to asylum and immigration, including border control, Aliens Police, reception, residency, citizenship and return. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Hungary |
2019 |
Institutional |
|
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 |