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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 Sort ascending Type of development Thematic area Development Source
Greece Flag Greece 2022 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs 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
Italy Flag Italy 2022 Legislative Detention 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 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
Romania Flag Romania 2022 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection 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
Sweden Flag Sweden 2022 Legislative Return of former applicants 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
Belgium Flag Belgium 2022 Policy Country of origin information Country of origin information CEDOCA created a working group on statistics to better understand methodologies and data visualisations in reports. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Denmark Flag Denmark 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The suspension of the processing of cases by Ethiopian nationals was lifted by the Coordination Committee of the Refugee Appeals Board, which found that the nature of the situation in the capital city did not amount to a risk for any person of Tigrayan ethnicity to be arrested, mistreated or assaulted. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Germany Flag Germany 2022 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions After a 3-year pilot, the Neustart im Team (NesT) programme for community sponsorship was consolidated. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Ireland Flag Ireland 2022 Policy Content of protection Content of protection A regularisation scheme was launched, under which applicants who had been waiting for a decision for more than 2 years may access the labour market and acquire a residence permit. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The Unites States, Armenia and Trinidad and Tobago were re-assessed as safe countries of origin. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) and United Work implemented a pilot project on employment for recognised beneficiaries of international protection in the Eindhoven region. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2022 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A new contingency plan was adopted to ensure accommodation and care in the event of a sudden or gradual increase in the number of applicants for international protection. The plan also addresses the implementation of international protection procedures and provides for personnel and financial adjustments in the event of opening new accommodation facilities. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Sweden Flag Sweden 2022 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Swedish Migration Agency issued a legal position on the relevant time for determining the age of an applicant or a sponsor, in particular in cases of family reunification. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Iceland Flag Iceland 2022 Institutional Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A temporary Council of Ministers for Immigrants and Refugees was appointed by proposal of the Prime Minister and approval of the government. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Belgium Flag Belgium 2022 Legislative Statelessness in the context of asylum 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
Finland Flag Finland 2022 Legislative Access to procedure icon 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
Germany Flag Germany 2022 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The draft of the Second Law for the Introduction of a Right of Opportunity to Stay proposed to end the accumulation of tolerated stay periods (Kettenduldung), which would no longer be counted towards residence rights. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Italy Flag Italy 2022 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure A new code of conduct for NGOs carrying out rescues at sea entered into force. 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
Poland Flag Poland 2022 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Special Act was adopted to increase the penalty for trafficking in human beings to imprisonment from 10 to 15 years or 25 years. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Spain Flag Spain 2022 Legislative Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions The government approved the National Resettlement Programme for 2023 which includes the resettlement of 1,200 refugees. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Belgium Flag Belgium 2022 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The winter plan was signed, for example reserving a certain number of places in the accommodation structure for the homeless, in particular for applicants for international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2022 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure A Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the police and the Social Welfare Service on the referral, handling, protection and briefing of potential and recognised victims of trafficking. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Germany Flag Germany 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Germany announced adapting its policy on women and girls from Afghanistan. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Ireland Flag Ireland 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Interpreters were permitted to use videoconferencing during the first instance procedures rather than provide interpretation by telephone. EUAA Asylum Report 2023