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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
Italy Flag Italy 2021 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions A new protocol for the protection of 500 individuals from Libya was signed between the Department of the Civil Liberties and Immigration under the Italian Ministry of the Interior, the Sant' Egidio community and the Federazione Chiese Evangeliche Italiane (FCEI). EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Malta Flag Malta 2020 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection A new provision regarding the cessation of international protection (unequivocal renunciation) was added to the Procedural Standards for Granting and Withdrawing International Protection Regulations. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Czech Flag Czech Republic 2019 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A new reception centre in B?lá pod Bezd?zem, with 186 places, was opened. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Belgium Flag Belgium 2022 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure A new reception facility opened to accommodate a group of applicants in the Dublin procedure, managed by the Immigration Office in collaboration with Fedasil. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Greece Flag Greece 2022 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure A new registration procedure was introduced for first-time applicants through Circular 5049/2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2020 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure A new regulation sets out the operation and work process of the interdisciplinary commission to evaluate the best interests of unaccompanied minors in a return decision. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2022 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure A new regulation was adopted to consolidate in one legislative piece the tasks of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies related to unaccompanied minors. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Hungary Flag Hungary 2020 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure A new section and a new Article 32/Z was added to the Asylum Law: This allows the NDGAP to confiscate any object (for example, mobile phones, laptops) when the facts cannot be clarified otherwise, there would be a significant delay in clarifying the facts without confiscation or not seizing the object would jeopardise the success of the examination procedure. Previously the rules of the General Administrative Law defined the rules for seizure. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2019 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure A new security decree adopted by the Council of Ministers stated that boats suspected of facilitating irregular migration may be refused entry into Italian ports and boats violating the ban could face substantial fines and be seized by the authorities. IT LEG 01 2019
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2019 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure A new software was piloted to store files of applicants who are subject to incoming Dublin requests from other states. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection A new strategic document on migration policy was adopted, underlining the strengthened need for local level integration of beneficiaries of international protection, including high-quality education for children and the continued offer of Slovak language classes. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2021 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants A new strategic document on migration policy was adopted, with an emphasis on voluntary returns rather than forced returns. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Estonia Flag Estonia 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure A new surveillance measure was introduced, the appearing for counselling. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A new type of beneficiary group was established, referring to applicants in reception centres who are presumed to form a community with synergies in benefits, hence these applicants are now entitled to a lower level of benefits. DE LEG 02 2019
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups A newly-built dormitory opened for a maximum of 15 vulnerable persons at the Foreigners’ Registration Centre of the State Border Guard Service. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Sweden Flag Sweden 2021 Legislative Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions A number of amendments to the regulatory framework concerning resettlement were adopted to enable greater flexibility in acute situations, such as the Afghanistan situation. According to a government decision, the requirement that a person must be in a third country to be eligible for resettlement was temporarily removed. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2021 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants A number of legislative changes were adopted in the area of asylum and return, including compulsory COVID-19 tests for a person subject to a return, expulsion measure or a Dublin transfer, even against their will. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2021 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A parliamentary initiative was adopted on the obligation to cooperate in the asylum procedure, which includes the possibility of checking an applicant’s mobile phone. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Italy Flag Italy 2022 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure A Plan for Unaccompanied Minors was adopted, following the arrival of Ukrainian children. It was regularly updated throughout the year to address arising concerns. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A portal was launched for asylum lawyers, allowing them to rapidly check the status of a case, easily upload documents and safely exchange data EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2021 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions A pre-departure orientation programme was introduced which replaced the 3-month introductory activities post-arrival. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Italy Flag Italy 2022 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure A presidential decree was adopted clarifying that the authorities need to examine the conversion of unaccompanied children’s residence permits on a case-by-case basis when they reach adulthood. Residence permits based on integration can be issued until the age of 21. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A proposal was put forward and adopted in 2021 to amend the International Protection Act. Among a set of comprehensive changes, for example, sanctions would apply when an applicant does not comply with the duties or obstructs the implementation of the asylum procedure. The amendment also widens the grounds on which an asylum application can be rejected as manifestly unfounded. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Estonia Flag Estonia 2019 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications A proposition was presented to amend the Act on Granting International Protection to Aliens by updating the national list of safe countries of origin at least once a year. The duty to notify the European Commission lies with the Ministry of the Interior. EE LEG 01 2019
Spain Flag Spain 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure A protocol was approved to establish common criteria for professionals who work with applicants and beneficiaries of international protection to detect and prevent gender-based violence in reception. EUAA Asylum Report 2022