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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 Sort ascending Development Source
Finland Flag Finland 2021 Institutional The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The entire staff of the Dublin unit changed and new colleagues received extensive training throughout the year. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Belgium Flag Belgium 2021 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The Netherlands and Belgium concluded an agreement to replace PCR tests by a quarantine before departure. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Belgium Flag Belgium 2021 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The State Secretary for Asylum and Migration extended the transfer period from 6 months to 18 months for applicants in the Dublin procedure who refused to undergo PCR testing. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Belgium Flag Belgium 2021 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The State Secretary for Asylum and Migration announced that children, applicants with vulnerabilities and first-time applicants have priority to receive reception over applicants who have already sought asylum in another EU Member State. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure New work instructions were published on when and how a case officer should request advice from the Medical Advisory Office to assess an applicant’s aptitude to travel. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2022 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The government adopted amendments to the ordinance regulating the coordination between the asylum and police (border and immigration) administrations when implementing the Dublin III Regulation. 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
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The Minister for Migration announced that the Track 1 procedure, which was established for applicants in the Dublin procedure, would be standardised and made more efficient. In addition, applicants in the Dublin procedure are planned to be offered more moderate material reception conditions, in line with shorter processing times which are foreseen. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The government proposed a bill creating the legal basis for enforced COVID-19 testing in the beginning of 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Norway Flag Norway 2022 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure Guidelines clarified that the Dublin III Regulation did not apply to persons who were granted collective protection (a status similar to temporary protection in the EU framework). EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2022 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure A new legal provision was adopted to provide for the suspension of a transfer decision when a third-country national under the Dublin procedure absconds. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Belgium Flag Belgium 2022 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The accelerated procedure for specific, predefined potential Dublin cases was revised. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Belgium Flag Belgium 2022 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure A new reception facility opened to accommodate a group of applicants in the Dublin procedure, managed by the Immigration Office in collaboration with Fedasil. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Italy Flag Italy 2022 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure Italy requested the temporary suspension of incoming Dublin transfers due to a lack of reception places. 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
Romania Flag Romania 2020 Policy Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The regulation on accommodation centres for foreigners taken into public custody was amended and a new chapter was added to regulate the General Inspectorate for Immigration's use of personal data. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Latvia Flag Latvia 2020 Policy Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The State Border Guard's internal regulations were amended to determine the procedure for children accompanied by an adult applicant who is ordered to be detained. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2020 Policy Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Bulgaria increased the capacity of two pre-removal facilities (Busmantsi and Lyubimets) from 700 to 1,060 persons. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure An amendment to the Aliens Act established a clear legal basis for continuing the detention of a rejected applicant at the border during the appeal phase in the border procedure. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The grounds were extended for placing an unaccompanied minor in detention for the purpose of return. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure An amendment clarified that minors cannot be held in detention for the purposes of return. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Ireland Flag Ireland 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The International Protection Act 2015 (Section 51B)(Places of Detention) Regulations 2020 set out the places of detention for the purpose of facilitating the return of a person whose application for international protection was determined to be inadmissible and who is subject of a return order. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The grounds for detention were extended: i) when there is a condition for which the rejection of refugee status (for reasons of national security or public order) and exclusion from subsidiary protection status is foreseen and ii) when a subsequent application is issued during the execution of a removal order. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Applications submitted in detention, a hotspot or a repatriation centre are no longer prioritised. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The amendments strengthened the duty of authorities to provide information about a detained applicant's rights and entitlements. EASO Asylum Report 2021