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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
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance BAMF amended its quality assurance system so that some quality assurance employees rotate among the different branch offices to bring more homogeneity in decisions. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Germany Flag Germany 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance BAMF carried out a feasibility study for digital certification processes and digital identity management, publishing a white paper as a first step towards analysing whether certification processes and identities of asylum seekers can be fully digitalised. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance BAMF implemented the XAVIA project to ensure that all information related to asylum cases is shared electronically among public authorities. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Germany Flag Germany 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance BAMF introduced the ""Assistance System for Hearings"", a digital tool to support case officers in their work. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services BAMF launched a new software to administer interpretation services. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Policy Country of origin information Country of origin information BAMF launched a two-year training campaign offering workshops on the Top 10 countries of origin. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Germany Flag Germany 2022 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services BAMF published a brochure for interpreters with information and recommendations for successful interpretation, a new webpage on interpretation in the asylum procedure, a bilingual terminology list on sexual orientation and gender identity, and an updated version of the booklet for interpreters. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Germany Flag Germany 2022 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure BAMF published a methodology for the identification of vulnerable applicants. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Germany Flag Germany 2022 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure BAMF reviewed and clarified its internal instructions regarding procedures involving LGBTIQ applicants. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications Bangladesh and Pakistan were added to the list of safe countries of origin. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Bangladesh and Pakistan were designated as safe countries of origin. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Finland Flag Finland 2019 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Based on CJEU Case C-550/16, the Aliens Act was amended and applicants reaching the age of 18 during the asylum procedure are considered to be minors for the purposes of family reunification. FI LEG 01 2019
Finland Flag Finland 2019 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Based on the ECHR judgement in N.A. v. Finland, the Finnish Immigration Service reviewed the cases of around 500 applicants. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Ireland Flag Ireland 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Based on the findings of the report of the Advisory Group on the Provision of Support including Accommodation to Persons in the International Protection Process, the government would publish a White Paper on the replacement of the Direct Provision System with a new, non-profit international protection accommodation policy. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Belgium Flag Belgium 2021 Policy Statelessness in the context of asylum Statelessness in the context of asylum Belgium formally pledged to introduce a residence permit for stateless persons during the UN High Level Officials Meeting event taking place under the Global Refugee Forum. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Beneficiaries of international protection are in principle obliged to take up residence and are entitled to integration services in the federal state where their asylum procedure was conducted. The foreigners’ authorities of the federal states are obliged to bear the integration costs for three years. DE LEG 05 2019
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
France Flag France 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications Benin was removed from the list of safe countries of origin. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Austria Flag Austria 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Both chambers of the administrative court started deciding on asylum cases and more staff was recruited. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2020 Policy Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Bulgaria increased the capacity of two pre-removal facilities (Busmantsi and Lyubimets) from 700 to 1,060 persons. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Belgium Flag Belgium 2021 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants By 2022, 80 new staff members are expected to be recruited as return counsellors to organise interviews and information sessions with migrants and rejected asylum seekers living in private housing, who have recently received a return decision. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2019 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications By Ministerial Decision on Safe Countries, the accelerated procedure is applied to Georgian nationals. CY LEG 01 2019
Belgium Flag Belgium 2022 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance CALL launched a digital tool on 1 March 2022, entitled J-BOX, to exchange procedural documents electronically instead of using registered mail. The use of the tool became mandatory in appeals for accelerated and urgent measures. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Spain Flag Spain 2019 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Case-handling guidelines were issued, for example based on gender, credibility and assessment of medical reports. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Cases lodged by Afghan nationals were processed where the need for protection was evident, so only positive decisions were issued, as well as inadmissible and Dublin decisions, while negative decisions were suspended. From the end of January 2022, the examination of these cases resumed, and the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum scheduled applicants for a complementary interview to discuss changes in their situation if the initial interview was done before 15 August 2021. EUAA Asylum Report 2022