Skip to main content

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 Sort descending Type of development Thematic area Development Source
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The so-called EBO rules entered into force on 1 July 2020. According to these rules, applicants are no longer entitled to a daily allowance if they choose to reside in specific areas with high rates of immigrants and socio-economic challenges (32 municipalities listed in 2020, revised to 23 municipalities as of 1 January 2021). EASO Asylum Report 2021
Denmark Flag Denmark 2020 Institutional Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The Danish Return Agency started its operations on 1 August 2020 and is responsible for tasks linked to return, with the exception of forced removals. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Applications submitted in detention, a hotspot or a repatriation centre are no longer prioritised. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications A new definition was adopted for subsequent applications to align it with the recast Asylum Procedures Directive. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Malta Flag Malta 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The definition of manifestly-unfounded applications was amended and aligned with the definition in the recast Asylum Procedures Directive. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A Joint Ministerial Decision was issued on the procedure and criteria to register in the Register for Rapporteurs-Assistant Case Handlers for Asylum. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The establishment of locally-competent Units for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors in EKKA are planned according to a new law. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Hungary Flag Hungary 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Asylum Law, Article 31/A(10) was amended: It was added that asylum detention can also take place - in exceptional cases - in a health care institution. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2020 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure Some processes related to decisions on Dublin cases were clarified, with the aim to have a more efficient and timely procedure. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The House of Representatives adopted an amendment to the Constitution, allowing for an exception from the general 75-day time limit for an appeal against a negative decision of the Asylum Service before the Administrative Court. EASO Asylum Report 2021
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
Romania Flag Romania 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Ministry of the Interior organised a?public debate on the draft Government Decision for approval of the National Strategy on Immigration for 2020-2023. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Swedish Migration Agency provided clarification on the application of the economic requirement for family reunification, explaining in which cases beneficiaries of international protection and children are exempted from these rules. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The National Plan on the Integration of Migrants of the Republic of Cyprus was released for public consultation at the end of 2020. EASO Asylum Report 2021
France Flag France 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection An instruction on family reunification provided guidance on processing incomplete or inadmissible family reunification requests in an effort to reduce processing times and decrease the number of disputes. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance New guidelines were issued on evidence assessments. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The IND published new work instructions providing guidelines to implement ECHR, Article 8. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The COA launched a pilot project in Utrecht for beneficiaries of international protection, where beneficiaries combine studying and apprenticeship in a 2-year programme to become COA employees. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Belgium Flag Belgium 2020 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The final report of the commission for the evaluation of policies on foreigners' voluntary and forced return (also known as the Bossuyt Commission) was published. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Croatia Flag Croatia 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection A new 3-year project for the integration of refugees into Croatian society was approved by the Directorate for European Affairs, International Relations and European Union Funds in early March 2020. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Germany Flag Germany 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection New AnkER facilities were opened. In 2020, the model has been implemented in 8 of 16 federal states. 7 AnkER facilities have been set up in the state of Bavaria, 1 AnkER facility in each of the states of Saxony and Saarland. In addition to that, seven 'functionally-equivalent facilities' exist nationwide. The functioning of these facilities was evaluated and the results were published in February 2021. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Croatia Flag Croatia 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Croatia is developing and implementing a new IT application (RECORD) with AMIF funding that aims to improve the quality of collecting, managing, processing, monitoring and reporting data in the field of international protection. Funds for the implementation of the project proposal were approved on 23 November 2020. Iin April 2021, the technical specifications for the project were being drafted. EASO Asylum Report 2021
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
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The Aliens Circular was amended and clarified that when a child is born after a parent has received a return decision, even though the child is subject to an independent return decision, the period of voluntary return is aligned to the parents' decision and expires at the same time. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The Swedish Migration Agency, the police and Swedish diplomatic missions abroad were also given the right to process sensitive data, as described by the Aliens Data Act, and to test and develop existing IT systems for managing the personal data of third-country nationals, for example to participate in international cooperation. EASO Asylum Report 2021