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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
Estonia Flag Estonia 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Ministry of Cultural Affairs published guidelines for local governments on integration services. EASO Asylum Report 2021
France Flag France 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The French National Assembly drafted a report evaluating labour market integration policies of applicants and refugees. EASO Asylum Report 2021
France Flag France 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection An instruction on family reunification provided guidance on processing incomplete or inadmissible family reunification requests in an effort to reduce processing times and decrease the number of disputes. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Germany Flag Germany 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The BAMF launched a new digital information platform, offering information on integration services. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Latvia Flag Latvia 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Support measures for beneficiaries of international protection (refugees and persons with alternative status), reception and accommodation in Latvia continued in 2020 with funding from AMIF, providing integration courses, Latvian language courses, as well as cultural, sports and recreational events and events fostering intercultural communication and co-operation with the local community. Information Centres for Newcomers (ICI) continued to operate in five different location and help newcomers with the orientation of administration and daily life, following their establishment in 2016 with AMIF support. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Ministry of Social Security and Labour signed a cooperation agreement with the Mykolas Romeris University to provide English or Lithuanian language courses for selected beneficiaries of international protection. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Ministry of Education, Childhood and Youth published a guide addressed to professionals working with newly-arrived foreign students, with a specific section on minors who are applicants for international protection. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The IND published new work instructions on further investigation in family reunification procedures, including DNA testing in the asylum procedure. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The introduction of the new civic integration system is further postponed and it is foreseen to be launched on 1 January 2022 instead of 1 July 2021. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Ireland Flag Ireland 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The National Integration Fund 2020 was launched, with EUR 2.2 million total funding for a 3-year period. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Ireland Flag Ireland 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Minister of State with special responsibility for Equality, Immigration and Integration announced EUR 500,000 for community integration projects under the Communities Integration Fund. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Latvia Flag Latvia 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued humanitarian visas for Belarusians in a shorter timeframe and applicants were required to contact the embassy only once instead of twice. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The integration process of beneficiaries of international protection was adjusted. An individual integration plan is proposed to each beneficiary while they are still accommodated at the Refugee Reception Centre. The plan is updated once beneficiaries settle in a municipality in cooperation with the municipality's body in charge of integration. The support services are tailored to each person's specific needs and financial support is defined according to the person's progress and personal efforts EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The State Secretary for Justice and Security announced that the so-called guest arrangement (logeerregeling) for beneficiaries of international protection will continue and is planned to be expanded. Under this arrangement, beneficiaries of international protection may volunteer to be placed with a host family, family or friends, while they are in wait for their definitive housing arrangement. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The COA launched a pilot project in Utrecht for beneficiaries of international protection, where beneficiaries combine studying and apprenticeship in a 2-year programme to become COA employees. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Swedish Public Employment Service started to roll out the Intensive Year programme for newly-arrived beneficiaries of international protection, which aims to get participants in employment within a year after the completion of the comprehensive, full-time integration programme. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Swedish government decided to finance the extension of labour market integration programmes for 12 months to support people whose programme would finish in the midst of the pandemic EASO Asylum Report 2021
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The State Secretariat for Migration and cantonal authorities signed amendments to the convention on cantonal integration programmes for the implementation of the Swiss Integration Agenda, which includes more funds for cantons to carry out their plans. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Federal Council adopted its opinion on a report by the Political Institutions Committee of the Council of States concerning a parliamentary initiative on granting the same family reunification regimes to beneficiaries of international protection and persons with temporary admission. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Belgium Flag Belgium 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Immigration Office provided detailed guidance on the exceptional circumstances to extend the validity of family reunification decisions and the validity of supporting documents. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Croatia Flag Croatia 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Croatian Action Plan for the Integration of Persons Granted International Protection was developed in 2020 and is foreseen to be implemented throughout 2021-2023. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Croatia Flag Croatia 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection A new 3-year project for the integration of refugees into Croatian society was approved by the Directorate for European Affairs, International Relations and European Union Funds in early March 2020. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Austria Flag Austria 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The number of withdrawals initiated by the BFA continued to increase. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Denmark Flag Denmark 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Danish Immigration Service reassessed the issuance of residence permits to several hundred Syrians from the Damascus area. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Malta Flag Malta 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection Criteria for the Specific Residence Authorisation (SRA) policy was modified. EASO Asylum Report 2021