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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
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Decisions may be notified by e-mail, where the decision is considered to be notified 48 hours after it was sent to the applicant. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A Registry of Rapporteurs and Assistants for Case Officers in Asylum was created. EASO Asylum Report 2021
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
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A new law outlined the development of information systems in reception structures and clarified the end of material reception conditions for recognised beneficiaries of international protection. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A Ministerial Decision was issued on the creation of temporary reception establishments for applicants for international protection. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A Joint Ministerial Decision was issued on the terms of material reception condition under the ESTIA II programme, implementing Law No 4674/2020. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A Ministerial Decision amended the framework of the ESTIA II programme for the accommodation of applicants for international protection. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A law added two new types of Regional Services of the Reception and Identification Service: closed structures for temporary reception of applicants against whom a restraining order was issued and closed controlled structures of islands. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The police director may issue a detention order upon the Asylum Service's prior notice. A judicial review is undertaken for the prolongation of the detention order but not for the initial order. The maximum initial detention period was extended from 45 days to 50 days and the total maximum detention period was extended from 3 months to 18 months. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Children's protective custody was abolished. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The concept of closed controlled island structures (KEDN) was clarified. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation A Joint Ministerial Decision re-defined the criteria to be registered in the Register of Greek and Foreign Non-Governmental Organisations and the Register of Members of Non-Governmental Organisations, which are active in matters of international protection, immigration and social integration within the territory of Greece. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation A Joint Ministerial Decision clarified the implementation rules for the provision of legal aid to applicants for international protection. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Interpretation services Interpretation services An amendment clarified that where the provision of interpretation is not possible in the applicant's language of choice, interpretation is provided in the official language of the applicant's country of origin or in another language which may reasonably be assumed to be understood by the applicant, including international sign language. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Interpretation services Interpretation services A Ministerial Decision specified that interpretation services must be provided free of charge by the Asylum Services during meetings between an applicant and a lawyer, and these meetings should not exceed 2 hours in total. 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
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure A Joint Ministerial Decision was issued on age assessments, foreseeing the establishment of a Unit of Medical Examination and Psychosocial Support in Reception and Identification Centres and Temporary Reception or Accommodation structures where the age assessment procedures is carried out. EASO Asylum Report 2021
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
Hungary Flag Hungary 2020 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure A new point k) was added under Asylum Law, Article 86(1): The NDGAP can also request data from authority responsible for citizenship matters, in order to fulfil its task. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Hungary Flag Hungary 2020 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure Asylum Law, Article 86/A was amended: The NDGAP can receive and process personal data that are publicly available due to public interest, including from foreign databases. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Hungary Flag Hungary 2020 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure A new Article 80 was added to the Asylum Decree: This allows the NDGAP to ask for support from the National Security Service to access data available on any objects under seizure. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Hungary Flag Hungary 2020 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure Government Decree No 233/2020 (V.26.) defined special rules for the asylum procedure and requires applicants to submit a letter of intent at a Hungarian diplomatic mission in a non-EU country prior to their entry to Hungary and application for asylum. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Hungary Flag Hungary 2020 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure Law LVIII of 2020 ratified Government Decree 2020 (V.26.) on special rules for the asylum procedure until 31 December 2020. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Hungary Flag Hungary 2020 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure Law CLXII of 2020 modifies Law LVIII of 2020 and extends the application of special rules for the asylum procedure until 30 June 2020. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Hungary Flag Hungary 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Paragraph 8a was added under Asylum Law, Article 32/Y to clarify circumstances when the procedure to enforce a financial claim - which arose during the asylum procedure - ceases. EASO Asylum Report 2021