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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 Thematic area Development Sort descending Source
France Flag France 2021 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions An instruction with guidelines on reception policies for resettled refugees was approved, establishing the division of responsibilities for the reception of resettled refugees between central administrations and funded organisations, the regional distribution and the monthly calendar for 2021 arrivals. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
France Flag France 2019 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure An Inter-Ministerial Instruction established a new protocol model to manage applications lodged from detention. FR LEG 08 2019
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2019 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants An interdisciplinary commission was established to evaluate the best interests of unaccompanied minors in return decisions. LU LEG 03 2019
Norway Flag Norway 2020 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure An internal review of 54 return cases from 2019 took place in the Immigration Appeals Board (UNE) in order to examine how UNE assesses what is in the best interests of the child in return cases. EASO Asylum Report 2021
France Flag France 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection An order defined the operating rules for collective reception centres. FR LEG 11 2019
France Flag France 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection An order defined the operating rules for emergency reception centres. FR LEG 12 2019
France Flag France 2019 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure An order designated the préfectures responsible for the implementation of Dublin procedures. FR LEG 02 2019
France Flag France 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection An order provided specifications for collective reception centres. FR LEG 09 2019
France Flag France 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection An order provided specifications for emergency reception centres. FR LEG 10 2019
Estonia Flag Estonia 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance An updated version of the register of granting international protection (RAKS2) was launched, including new features that allow the inclusion of data on court procedures and an automated process for receiving country of origin information. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure An urgent legislative act suspended applications from people arriving illegally into Greece for 1 month. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Applicants and tolerated persons became entitled to student benefits, and exclusion from the relevant study support under the Twelfth Book of Social Code is no longer applicable to them. DE LEG 02 2019
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications Applicants applying at border crossing points or transit zones are not considered to have entered the territory until a decision to allow entrance is issued. The Migration Department must issue this decision within 48 hours. Applicants refused entry are accommodated at the border crossing points or transit zones for the time of lodging an appeal. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Applicants are not entitled to daily allowance anymore if they choose to reside in specific areas with high rates of immigrants and socio-economic challenges (32 municipalities listed), in order to avoid segregation. SE LEG 02 2019
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2019 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Applicants become entitled to non-emergency health care treatments after two months from registration. The differentiation on access to health care is not based on the reception location of stay anymore but only on the length of the applicant’s stay in the Netherlands. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Belgium Flag Belgium 2019 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Applicants do not need to obtain a separate work permit since 1 January 2019. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Applicants for international protection may have access to the labour market in an extended number of occupations. CY LEG 02 2019
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Applicants from a safe country of origin may be assigned to the Collective Reception and Accommodation Centre through an individual administrative act for an accelerated processing of their application. If they leave the centre, their material reception conditions may be reduced or, in exceptional and duly justified cases, withdrawn. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Belgium Flag Belgium 2020 Policy Access to procedure icon Access to procedure Applicants had to book an appointment online for their registration between April and October 2020. The first instance tribunal of Brussels ruled that this practice was against the law, hence from 30 October 2020 registration in person started again at the arrival centre, without prior appointment. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Ireland Flag Ireland 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Applicants living in reception centres became entitled to the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. EASO Asylum Report 2021
France Flag France 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Applicants residing in Brittany and New Aquitaine have access to all the documents OFPRA sends them since 15 July 2020. This pilot implements the legislative amendments from 2018 and is foreseen to be extended gradually to the whole territory. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Applicants undertaking voluntary work may keep EUR 200 of volunteer allowance, in addition to the benefits granted under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act. DE LEG 02 2019
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications Applications from return facilities (CPR, centro di permanenza per il rimpatrio) and safe countries of origin are assessed within the accelerated procedure. Applications from a safe country of origin will follow the 9-day procedure, while a new ground for the 5-day procedure was established for applicants convicted of serious crimes. The 18-day procedure was revoked. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications Applications in the accelerated procedure are processed within 10 days. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Spain Flag Spain 2019 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Applications lodged by Venezuelan and other Latin American nationals were prioritised. EASO Asylum Report 2020