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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
Finland Flag Finland 2019 Policy Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation The AMIF-funded asylum procedure information provision, ONE project, was concluded, which facilitated access to legal aid from reception centres and to information throughout the whole asylum procedure. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Finland Flag Finland 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The AMIF-funded Competent Representative (Osaava edustaja) project was launched, developing online training for representatives of unaccompanied minors. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Finland Flag Finland 2019 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The AMIF-funded OSAKA project was finalised, focusing on the assessment and recognition of previous education, work experiences and skills. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Croatia Flag Croatia 2019 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The AMIF-funded project Psychosocial services and support for international protection applicants was signed with the Croatian Red Cross. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Croatia Flag Croatia 2020 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services The AMIF-funded project Translation and expansion of the network of translators in the process of granting international protection was launched, with 43 interpreters . EASO Asylum Report 2021
Croatia Flag Croatia 2020 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions The AMIF-funded project, Establishment of a resettlement mechanism began its implementation in 2017. Until now, two study visits on resettlement programmes have been carried out. During 2020, a short video story was filmed about the integration process of a Syrian family who arrived to Croatia as a group of resettled persons from Turkey. The project also includes the development of a mobile application which provides information on the resettlement programme, arrival and daily life in Croatia. This activity is in its completion phase. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Croatia Flag Croatia 2020 Policy Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation The AMIF-funded project, Free legal assistance in the process of granting international protection was approved in July 2020 to provide asylum seekers without sufficient funds with access to legal assistance, which consists of: assistance in drawing up a claim, representation in first instance administrative disputes and an exemption from payment of the costs of first instance administrative disputes. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Croatia Flag Croatia 2020 Policy Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation The AMIF-funded project, Providing legal advice in the process of granting international protection ended in March 2020, and a new project on the same topic of ensuring access to an effective remedy was announced in November 2020. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Croatia Flag Croatia 2020 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services The AMIF-funded project, Translation services during providing assistance in the integration process was ongoing. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Finland Flag Finland 2019 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The AMIF-funded PSYYKE project was launched to train reception staff on mental health work and draft a mental health work manual for the reception system. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Finland Flag Finland 2019 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The AMIF-funded TERTTU project came to an end, after developing a health examination protocol for assessing applicants' health, well-being and health care needs in the arrival stage. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Germany Flag Germany 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The AnkER concept is planned not to be used any longer, even though similar facilities for initial reception remain. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Greece Flag Greece 2022 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The application of the joint ministerial decision that provided for the application of the exceptional border procedure was not renewed. Border procedures apply only to applicants for international protection who arrive on the islands of Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Kos and Leros and live in a Reception and Identification Centre (RIC) or a Closed Controlled Access Centre (CCAC). EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Sweden Flag Sweden 2019 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The application of the law was extended until 19 July 2021 and beneficiaries of international protection continued to receive temporary residence permits instead of a permanent one. The law lifted the ban on family reunification for beneficiaries of subsidiary protection. SE LEG 01 2019
Norway Flag Norway 2020 Policy Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The arrival centre was re-organised in Norway to include multiply stakeholders within the same centre. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Austria Flag Austria 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The Asyl-Train project implemented by IOM Austria continued in 2019 and provided training to relevant national authorities and service providers to help identify trafficked persons in the framework of the asylum procedure. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2022 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Asylum Act was amended and codified the practice that applicants can stay outside of the reception facility for 3 months, with the possibility of extending this period without losing the right to material reception conditions. The act also regulates the initial integration of beneficiaries of international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Portugal Flag Portugal 2022 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Asylum Act was amended to allow applicants for international protection to work from the day they submit their application and receive related support. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2022 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Asylum Act was amended to regulate the hierarchy of national and international protection statuses. If the conditions for granting international protection are not met, then the possibility of granting a national status will be considered. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Access to information Access to information The Asylum Act was complemented with Article 12a, which regulates the modalities of BAMF counselling on asylum procedures for applicants. DE LEG 03 2019
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2022 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The asylum and reception contingency plan was revised to address the arrival of persons in need of temporary protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The asylum authority may reject an application and issue at the same time a return, removal or expulsion order in a single administrative act. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2022 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The Asylum Code codified the time limits for decisions on steps of the international protection procedure. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Latvia Flag Latvia 2021 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Asylum Law and several corresponding laws were amended related to documents certifying an applicant’s status. These modifications aim to facilitate an applicant’s access to health care, education and employment. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Institutional Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Asylum Service established new sectors which are responsible for the reception of applicants for international protection. The implementation and operationalisation of a reception allocation bureau was planned in the First Reception Centre Pournara to collect statistics, follow in- and outflow, and gather information on residences of applicants who are leaving the centre. EUAA Asylum Report 2022