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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 ascending Source
Iceland Flag Iceland 2022 Policy Content of protection Content of protection Young Afghan refugees who received protection shortly after turning 18 years are now also allowed to apply for family reunification. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Italy Flag Italy 2019 Legislative Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Within the Protection System for Beneficiaries of International Protection and Unaccompanied Foreign Minors (SIPROIMI), the Ministry of the Interior in Italy allocated funds to finance projects, organised by local authorities, related to unaccompanied minors. IT LEG 04 2019
Austria Flag Austria 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection Withdrawal procedures remained a priority for the BFA. EASO Asylum Report 2020
France Flag France 2019 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Withdrawal cards have been replaced by payment cards, on which the asylum applicant receives at the beginning of each month the allowance entitlement. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance When the applicant does not comply with the duty to cooperate, especially the duty to remain in communication with the authorities, the application or the appeal is presumed to be implicitly withdrawn. Previously, in this case the application was examined under the rules for manifestly unfounded applications. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance When assessing the recast Qualification Directive, Article 15(c) criteria on whether there is serious and individual threat to a civilian's life or person by reason of indiscriminate violence in situations of international or internal armed conflict, the IND needs to take into account whether there is a basic security structure present in the country of origin or in a specific area of the country. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications When a subsequent application is deemed to be inadmissible, the appeal needs to be lodged within 15 days. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Weekly meetings were organised with unaccompanied minors who are subject to proceedings under the Dublin III Regulation. At these meetings, unaccompanied minors are regularly informed of the steps that have been taken regarding their Dublin procedure and of the expected outcome of this procedure. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Czech Flag Czech Republic 2019 Policy Access to information Access to information Vulnerable persons are now notified about the right to a medical examination to detect signs of persecution or serious harm. This information is included in the document in which applicants provide data for an application. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Iceland Flag Iceland 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Venezuelan applicants are no longer automatically granted subsidiary protection due to the general circumstances in the home country. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Finland Flag Finland 2021 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants Various projects were implemented on processing data and digitalising information systems relevant to return, while the relevant legal framework was adapted accordingly. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Italy Flag Italy 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure UNHCR and the Italian National Commission for Asylum published new guidelines for the identification of victims of trafficking in an effort to standardise the procedure across territorial commissions. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act, material reception conditions can be restricted to a greater extent when the applicant does not cooperate. Applicants awaiting a transfer under the Dublin procedure are now entitled only to limited material reception conditions. Material reception conditions are limited to core benefits until leaving the country (Überbrückungsleistungen) for applicants who have already been granted international protection in another EU Member State and whose obligation to leave the territory is enforceable. DE LEG 03 2019
Hungary Flag Hungary 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Under Asylum Law, Article 15, the threshold to exclude a person from subsidiary protection became lower: instead of violating national security, it is enough if the person's stay in the country endangers national security. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Austria Flag Austria 2022 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Ukraine was removed from the list of safe countries of origin. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Estonia Flag Estonia 2022 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Ukraine was removed from the list of safe countries of origin. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Iceland Flag Iceland 2021 Policy Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Ukraine was removed from the list of safe countries (decision published in February 2022). EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Latvia Flag Latvia 2019 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Two video tutorials were developed with information for applicants on everyday issues at the Asylum Accommodation Centre. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Croatia Flag Croatia 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Two projects to refurbish reception centres in Zagreb and Kutina have started, co-financed by AMIF. The projects aims to improve living and working conditions in both centres. A new project of procurement of equipment, co-financed by AMIF, has also started. Through the project, new equipment for ambulances and newborn children will be purchased. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Poland Flag Poland 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection Two pilot integration centres were launched in the voivodeships of Opolskie and Wielkopolskie, as the second phase of the AMIF-funded project “Building Structures for the Integration of Foreigners in Poland.” Their tasks include information provision, Polish language courses, orientation, and intercultural, legal and psychological counselling. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
United Kingdom United Kingdom 2019 Policy Access to information Access to information Two new information guides were published on rights, expectations and support offered to applicants staying in temporary accommodation. EASO Asylum Report 2020
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
Greece Flag Greece 2022 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Türkiye was retained as a safe third country. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Turkey was designated a safe third country for applicants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Somalia and Syria. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Training on working with unaccompanied minors was offered to reception centre staff. EASO Asylum Report 2020