|
Slovenia |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
The Dublin procedure |
Amendments to the International Protection Act (IPA) clarified that applicants awaiting a transfer to another country under the Dublin III Regulation have the same reception rights as other applicants until their transfer. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Sweden |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to assess protection needs |
Legislative changes to the Aliens Act were introduced allowing the Migration Agency to reject an application as manifestly unfounded when the applicant comes from a country included in the list of safe countries of origin. The decision becomes immediately enforceable with no automatic suspensive effect or the right to remain pending the outcome of an appeal procedure. The agency published a corresponding legal position. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Belgium |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Statelessness in the context of asylum |
Amendments to the Nationality Code clarified that recognition as a stateless person was not required to grant Belgian nationality to a child born in Belgium without a nationality. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Malta |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
A new provision regarding the cessation of international protection (unequivocal renunciation) was added to the Procedural Standards for Granting and Withdrawing International Protection Regulations. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Finland |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Access to procedure |
Government legislative proposal 132/2022 was submitted to parliament in order to enable applicants for international protection to be registered in the Civil Registry at an earlier stage and to ease the prerequisites for registration. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Netherlands |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Return of former applicants |
The Aliens Circular was amended and clarified that when a child is born after a parent has received a return decision, even though the child is subject to an independent return decision, the period of voluntary return is aligned to the parents' decision and expires at the same time. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Greece |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to assess protection needs |
The application of the joint ministerial decision that provided for the application of the exceptional border procedure was not renewed. Border procedures apply only to applicants for international protection who arrive on the islands of Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Kos and Leros and live in a Reception and Identification Centre (RIC) or a Closed Controlled Access Centre (CCAC). |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Sweden |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
The so-called EBO rules entered into force on 1 July 2020. According to these rules, applicants are no longer entitled to a daily allowance if they choose to reside in specific areas with high rates of immigrants and socio-economic challenges (32 municipalities listed in 2020, revised to 23 municipalities as of 1 January 2021). |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Italy |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Detention during the asylum procedure |
The new regulation for pre-removal detention centres (CPR) was published, followed by a circular from the Department of Civil Liberties and Immigration on its implementation. The circular regulates access to the centres, the services provided, communication, visits as well as monitoring and controls. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Malta |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
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 |
|
Italy |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Detention during the asylum procedure |
Applications submitted in detention, a hotspot or a repatriation centre are no longer prioritised. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Romania |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
A government decision established the legal basis for paying benefits by card to asylum applicants. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Lithuania |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to process asylum applications |
A new definition was adopted for subsequent applications to align it with the recast Asylum Procedures Directive. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Sweden |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Return of former applicants |
The Swedish Migration Agency published a legal comment (RK/002/2022) on the interpretation of CJEU C-441/19 by which the court ruled that, before issuing a return decision for an unaccompanied minor, Member States must confirm that there are adequate reception facilities for minors in the state of return. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Malta |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The definition of manifestly-unfounded applications was amended and aligned with the definition in the recast Asylum Procedures Directive. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Greece |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
A Joint Ministerial Decision was issued on the procedure and criteria to register in the Register for Rapporteurs-Assistant Case Handlers for Asylum. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Greece |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
The establishment of locally-competent Units for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors in EKKA are planned according to a new law. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Hungary |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Detention during the asylum procedure |
Asylum Law, Article 31/A(10) was amended: It was added that asylum detention can also take place - in exceptional cases - in a health care institution. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Bulgaria |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
The Dublin procedure |
Some processes related to decisions on Dublin cases were clarified, with the aim to have a more efficient and timely procedure. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Cyprus |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to process asylum applications |
An amendment specified that an application could be examined under the accelerated procedure, and its examination is to be prioritised within 30 days from its lodging. This time limit can be extended up to 2 months. The time limit for lodging an appeal against a negative decision is 15 days. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Estonia |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance |
An amendment clarified that the appeal against the rejection and return decision has a suspensive effect. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Netherlands |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
Major changes were implemented for applicants in the Dublin procedure who claimed to be victims of human trafficking. This group of applicants will now only receive the special temporary residence permit for victims of human trafficking if their presence is considered to be essential for the investigation and prosecution of the case, and the Netherlands as a consequence only takes responsibility for their application if that is the case. |
NL LEG 05 2019 |
|
Germany |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
Adult applicants without children are required to live in an initial reception centre for a maximum period of 18 months (federal states may decide to extend this period to 24 months). The previous law defined a 6-month maximum period. |
DE LEG 03 2019 |
|
Greece |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
Joint Decision on the implementation of exceptional border procedures. |
EL LEG 03 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 |