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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 Sort ascending Type of development Thematic area Development Source
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
Austria Flag Austria 2021 Institutional Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation The new Federal Agency for Reception and Support Services (BBU, Bundesagentur für Betreuungs- und Unterstützungsleistungen GmbH) started its activities related to legal advice and representation, translation and interpretation services, advice and counselling on returns and human rights monitoring on 1 January 2021. All legal advisors received specialised training on quality assurance. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Institutional Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The reorganisation of the Asylum Service was ongoing, including the asylum administration and the ministry. 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
Finland Flag Finland 2021 Institutional The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The entire staff of the Dublin unit changed and new colleagues received extensive training throughout the year. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Finland Flag Finland 2021 Institutional Interpretation services Interpretation services The Finnish Immigration Service was restructured at the end of 2020, and the Legal Services Unit became responsible for assessing interpretation services. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Finland Flag Finland 2021 Institutional Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Finnish Immigration Service became entirely responsible for providing guidance on, planning and monitoring the guardianship of unaccompanied children in 2020, and this new arrangement started to be implemented in 2021. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Institutional Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum was reorganised and some services were centralised, and corresponding offices and staff from the Reception and Identification Service (RIS) were transferred to the ministry. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Iceland Flag Iceland 2021 Institutional Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance According to a new decree, the Ministry of Social Affairs would be mandated to provide reception conditions to applicants and integration services to beneficiaries of international protection, while the Directorate of Immigration (operating under the Ministry of Justice) continues to be responsible for the examination of applications for international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Institutional Country of origin information Country of origin information The Office for Country Information and Language Analysis (Team Onderzoek en Expertise Land en Taal (TOELT)) was divided into two departments, one employing the Country Specialists and Linguists (TOELT 01) and the other employing the Employees of the Regional Information Centres and the Coordinators Interpreters (TOELT 02). EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Spain Flag Spain 2021 Institutional Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Secretary of State for Migration and the International Protection and Humanitarian Assistance Programmes were reorganised under the same General Directorate, and a new General Sub-Directorate was created for Migratory Analysis. The Executive Commission of the Inter-ministerial Commission of Retributions reorganised tasks between different departments within the Spanish Office of Asylum (Ministry of Home Affairs). A new Sub-Directorate of International Protection and three new heads of department were established. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Austria Flag Austria 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure In cooperation with UNHCR and the IOM, the Austrian Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum (BFA) organised regularly training sessions for its staff on identifying special needs and vulnerabilities, interviewing applicants with special needs, and tailoring approaches to specific groups, such as women, children, LGBTIQ applicants and survivors of trafficking in the asylum procedure. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Austria Flag Austria 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Austrian Federal Ministry of Justice established a Commission on the Best Interests of the Child in February 2021, tasked to review the legal framework and practices related to children in the asylum procedure. The Federal Ministry of the Interior conducted an internal review as well, concluding that many of the recommendations were already being applied or were on the way to implementation, and suggesting new measures. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Belgium Flag Belgium 2021 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The Netherlands and Belgium concluded an agreement to replace PCR tests by a quarantine before departure. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Belgium Flag Belgium 2021 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The State Secretary for Asylum and Migration extended the transfer period from 6 months to 18 months for applicants in the Dublin procedure who refused to undergo PCR testing. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Belgium Flag Belgium 2021 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The State Secretary for Asylum and Migration announced that children, applicants with vulnerabilities and first-time applicants have priority to receive reception over applicants who have already sought asylum in another EU Member State. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Belgium Flag Belgium 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The CGRS published updates on the processing of applications filed by Palestinians. For Palestinians for whom a particular individual well-founded fear of persecution is not established and who depend on assistance from the UNRWA, it must be checked if the individual can still count on assistance from the UNRWA. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Belgium Flag Belgium 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The State Secretary for Asylum and Migration announced the recruitment of 700 new staff for the CGRS, the Immigration Office and Fedasil and published a vacancy notice in June 2021. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Belgium Flag Belgium 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The State Secretary for Asylum and Migration planned to undertake an audit of the asylum services (CGRS, Immigration Office, Fedasil and CALL) with results expected in summer 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Belgium Flag Belgium 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The notification of negative decisions was temporarily suspended for applicants from Afghanistan in August 2021 and the suspension was fully lifted on 2 March 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Belgium Flag Belgium 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A new feature of the online web application, Match-IT, was rolled out to document social aspects of an applicant. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Belgium Flag Belgium 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A new IT system was launched in the arrival centre in Brussels to document residents in accommodation. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Finland Flag Finland 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Finnish Ministry of the Interior launched a project to bring together the expertise of various stakeholders in the asylum system to develop uniform, long-term objectives and more comprehensive immigration and asylum policies. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Denmark Flag Denmark 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection A new digital application was launched to allow family members other than spouses and children to apply online for family reunification. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Finland Flag Finland 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Immigration Service suspended the pronouncement of negative decisions on removals to Afghanistan on 9 July 2021. EUAA Asylum Report 2022