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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 Sort descending Thematic area Development Source
Czech Flag Czech Republic 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The method of issuing or extending residence permits for beneficiaries of international protection were simplified. The documents are no longer re-issued and a new expiration date is noted directly on the existing permit. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Ireland Flag Ireland 2019 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions The Department of Justice and Equality launched a community sponsorship programme. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Austria Flag Austria 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Austrian Federal Ministry of Justice established a Commission on the Best Interests of the Child in February 2021, tasked to review the legal framework and practices related to children in the asylum procedure. The Federal Ministry of the Interior conducted an internal review as well, concluding that many of the recommendations were already being applied or were on the way to implementation, and suggesting new measures. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2021 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services Remote interpretation was used during registration and eligibility interviews in reception centres located outside of the capital, where interpreters are harder to find and employ. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Czech Flag Czech Republic 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection Third-country nationals, including beneficiaries of international protection who would like to obtain a long-term permanent residence after 5 years of continuous residence in Czechia, must take a Czech language exam at A2 level instead of A1. Persons issued a long-term residence permit must complete within a year a 4-hour integration course on their rights and obligations, fundamental values, everyday life, culture and traditions. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
France Flag France 2021 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services The OFII medical service launched a 6-month pilot project in three major cities, and medical screening is done in the presence of an interpreter for all new asylum applicants. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Swedish Migration Agency published a legal position regarding certain Yemeni passports. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Policy Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Closed Controlled Access Centres (CCACs) were established at the borders with special detention facilities. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The National Audit Office reviewed voluntary and forced return legislation, policy and practices and suggested that the government substantially reorganise the tasks of the authorities and the division of responsibilities. In its reply letter, the government agreed with the recommendations related to reconsidering the process of information flow among the different authorities and agreed partially with other recommendations. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Ireland Flag Ireland 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) piloted a vulnerability assessment process throughout 2021. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
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
Italy Flag Italy 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Ministry of the Interior signed agreements with UNICEF to monitor reception conditions for unaccompanied children, with Terre des Hommes for psychological and psychosocial assistance from disembarkation to first reception, and with Save the Children for the provision of targeted support to unaccompanied children. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Ministry of Migration and Asylum and the Greek Red Cross for support with the provision of material reception conditions, including health services and psychological support. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A complete IT overhaul was implemented in the reception system. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The Administrative Division of the Council of State now uses a new, sixth form of motivation of its decisions. When the court rejects an application, it uses one of the template sentences to provide more context for the ground of the refusal. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Malta Flag Malta 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The authorities focused on enforcing contracts signed with applicants for their accommodation to ensure that reception spaces are swiftly available. When appointments are not respected or when there are clear indications that the applicant abandoned the asylum procedure, the International Protection Agency considers the application implicitly withdrawn and informs AWAS, which terminates the reception contract. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
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
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Specific projects continued to address and manage more effectively disruptive behaviour in the reception system. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Norway Flag Norway 2020 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants As of March 2020, standard support assistance may be increased in order to ease the return and reintegration process, for example for returnees with special medical needs or if it is assessed to be more cost-effective for Norwegian society. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Poland Flag Poland 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Two centres from the Office for Foreigners were lent to the Border Guard due to the need for more capacity in detention. Thus, the capacity in reception facilities temporarily decreased. One of these centres was returned to the Office for Foreigners in mid-June 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2020 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The State Agency for Refugees started to apply EASO standards to identify vulnerable applicants, and it established two safe zones for unaccompanied children in the reception centre in Sofia, which are operated by the IOM. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure A resolution was adopted to outline the national action plans for combating trafficking in human beings, according to the 2020 recommendations from GRETA. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The forms of notification for rejected applicants for international protection were amended to include information on their rights for effective remedy, timelines and programmes available for voluntary and assisted return operations. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2021 Policy Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The Swedish Migration Agency adopted legal positions on several issues providing guidance on the calculation of detention times, the validity period of a detention decision and which authority is competent to address detention if there is an enforceable expulsion or expulsion decision and the detainee applies for protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
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