Skip to main content

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 descending Development Source
Norway Flag Norway 2020 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The Norwegian government passed a law which provides the possibility to increase the length of introduction programmes and training by 6 months due to the pandemic. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The government increased funding for fast tracks, which were established to support entry into the job market for beneficiaries of international protection who have education, work or training experience. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Sweden Flag Sweden 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The government tasked the Swedish Council for Higher Education to develop and pilot special measures for: a) skills validation and the recognition of qualifications when documentary evidence is missing and b) when the educational level is documented but the level was not completed. The Council also worked on a permanent structure for the recognition and accreditation of prior learning. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The new act clarified that if the reason for an applicant to move to another federal state becomes obsolete three months from the move, then the first federal state must continue to bear integration costs for three years. DE LEG 05 2019
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2019 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection A new ground was added to withdraw subsidiary protection: when there is a serious ground that the person’s stay in the country would represent a threat to national security or the community. LT LEG 01 2019
Finland Flag Finland 2021 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection A draft government proposal was sent out for comments to amend the Aliens Act provisions on the family reunification of beneficiaries of international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection Legal position on residence permit for studies at upper secondary level. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Ireland Flag Ireland 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection A regularisation scheme was launched with a strand for undocumented migrants and another for applicants for international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Denmark Flag Denmark 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Danish Immigration Service, the Refugee Appeals Board and the Immigration Board have jointly been preparing a memorandum on the protection of foreigners' private and family life in the European Convention on Human Rights and the UN convention on human rights in connection with the new withdrawal ground introduced in 2019. The memorandum was still under work in spring 2021. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Swiss Federal Council opened consultations on adjusting the financing of cantonal integration measures under the new Swiss Integration Agenda. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Finland Flag Finland 2022 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Several legislative amendments were introduced to prepare for the transfer of responsibility for organising health and social services, including integration services, from municipalities to wellbeing services counties. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Ireland Flag Ireland 2022 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The International Protection Student Scheme 2022-2023 provided grants to eligible school leavers in the international protection system. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The government increased the threshold of subsidies for municipalities from 80 % to 100 % of the rental prices announced by the Housing Observatory to encourage rentals for beneficiaries of international protection. Beneficiaries may also continue to live in reception facilities for a small fee. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Iceland Flag Iceland 2022 Institutional Content of protection Content of protection The Minister of Education and Children established a steering group on refugee children's issues, which is tasked to monitor the situation of refugee children, provide advice, assess government measures and ensure that measures are aligned with international standards. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Croatia Flag Croatia 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection Beneficiaries of international protection were granted 280 hours of state-provided language courses. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Greece Flag Greece 2019 Legislative Content of protection 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
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2021 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection An amended law entered into force in June 2021 allowing beneficiaries of international protection to apply for family reunification with facilitated conditions for 6 months from being granted the status. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Romania Flag Romania 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection New methodological norms were published for the implementation of the 2019 amendments of the Integration Act. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Cross-Party Committee of Inquiry on Migration submitted its report on a sustainable long-term migration policy, proposing several changes to the Aliens Act. This would include for example that beneficiaries of international protection would first get a temporary residence permit. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Czech Flag Czech Republic 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Czech Ministry of Labour updated its guidelines and clarified that public employment services may provide special, employment-related language courses to beneficiaries of international protection to improve their employment chances. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Italian government shared clarifications on the process of and the requirements for converting the permit of an unaccompanied minor to a work permit. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Czech Flag Czech Republic 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The 14 Regional Integration Centres in Czechia continued their work in 2020 and their funding was secured for 2021. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Belgium Flag Belgium 2022 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The government announced its intention to create a separate right of residence through family reunification for parents of children who are recognised beneficiaries of international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Germany Flag Germany 2022 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The legal framework on social benefits was revised for German nationals and beneficiaries of international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Law No 4825/2021 adjusted some of the provisions related to the delivery of travel documents to beneficiaries of international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2022