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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 Sort descending Country Year Type of development Thematic area Development Source
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions The government decided to temporarily pause resettlement selections out of Turkey. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
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 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A decision and departure moratorium was issued for Afghan nationals and ethnic Tigrayans from Ethiopia. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Access to procedure icon Access to procedure In the framework of the Flexibility of the Asylum Chain Programme, tweaks started to be introduced to the identification and registration process, including the launching of the control board (regietafel), setting up a front portal (voorportal) in Ter Apel and introducing the use of a common file structure available for all stakeholders of the asylum chain. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The return of unaccompanied minors was suspended until an examination determines if they would receive adequate reception and care in the country of origin. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Further clarifications were provided for the assessment of family reunification for beneficiaries of international protection. For example, the fact that the family members were not named during the asylum procedure is not in itself a ground to reject family reunification, but it can be taken into account when assessing the actual family link. For foster children, the biological parents' identity and the foster parent's family link to the biological parents always need to be clarified. When the biological parents are still present, the link between a foster child and foster parents can only be recognised for family reunification under very exceptional circumstances. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The Aliens Circular was amended to specify that a foreigner can be detained for a short period to investigate the person’s identity and their lawful status in the country. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The IND launched a special project and hired additional staff to reduce the backlog in applications from unaccompanied minors and shorten the overall length of the asylum procedure. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2019 Legislative Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The Aliens Circular was amended to clarify that an age assessment takes place in two separate sessions, one with the AVIM and one with the IND. Employees of the same public authority assess the age independently, but they can attend the same assessment session. NL LEG 05 2019
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services The IND published updated work instructions on working together with an interpreter. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The list of safe countries of origin was entirely revised following a decision of the Council of State. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions Humanitarian admission was pledged for 3,159 Afghans in 2021 and 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
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
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Security regions stepped in to open and manage crisis reception facilities. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2019 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications An amendment to the Aliens Decree (Vb) established the possibility to omit the personal interview in subsequent applications. NL LEG 06 2019
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The COA published its new multiannual strategy, which defines its measurable targets for the next 5 years. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Statelessness in the context of asylum Statelessness in the context of asylum The requirements were changed for the documents to be presented by Lebanese Palestinians for the registration of statelessness. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance When assessing the recast Qualification Directive, Article 15(c) criteria on whether there is serious and individual threat to a civilian's life or person by reason of indiscriminate violence in situations of international or internal armed conflict, the IND needs to take into account whether there is a basic security structure present in the country of origin or in a specific area of the country. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance After the conclusion of the pilot project “Written Interviews” (schriftelijk horen), the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) initiated another pilot offering written interviews to Syrian, Turkish and Yemeni nationals (“Paper and Ink procedure”). EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2019 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure An amendment of the Dutch Aliens Act (Vw, Vreemdelingenwet), Article 50a, permitted applicants or Dublin claimants, who are legally residing after a decision on the asylum application and awaiting a Dublin transfer, to be stopped, transferred to a place to be questioned and kept in custody for a maximum of six hours if needed to assess whether detention is necessary in the framework of the Dublin procedure. NL LEG 01 2019
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Legislative Statelessness in the context of asylum Statelessness in the context of asylum The Statelessness Determination Procedure Act was discussed by the parliament. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A special task force was created in March 2020 to deal with the backlog of more than 15,000 asylum applications. It handled 8,200 by the end of 2020 and was foreseen to continue its work until mid-2021. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection An AMIF-funded project promoted sports, exercise and healthy lifestyle among residents. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Following up on the initiative from the State Secretary for Justice and Security, the COA started to accommodate at a separate location in Budel applicants from safe countries of origin and those who have already obtained international protection in another Member State. Applicants receive only basic material reception conditions in kind and stricter reporting obligation applies to them, as they need to report daily and in addition, every time they leave or come back. The location has extra security personnel. Vulnerable applicants cannot be accommodated here. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A draft decree would revise and shorten the Dutch regular asylum procedure from 8 days to 6 days. The draft underwent a public consultation process by the end of November 2020. EASO Asylum Report 2021