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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 Sort descending Country Year Type of development Thematic area Development Source
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
Greece Flag Greece 2019 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Joint Decision on the implementation of exceptional border procedures. EL LEG 03 2019
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Law No 4815/2021 made minor adjustments to the provisions on the residence permit of beneficiaries of international protection and their family members in Greece. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Ministry of Migration and Asylum and the Asylum Service were in the process of digitalising and some of the following procedures can now be done online: submit the full registration (lodging) for pre-registered applicants, request to change the date of the interview, request to change the personal data or contact information, request a statement on the application status, submit additional documents, apply for legal aid and apply for a Provisional Social Security and Health Care Number. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure Following a law amendment, the Regional Services for Reception and Identification are also considered to be competent receiving authorities for the full registration of international protection. 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 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
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Children's protective custody was abolished. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Ministry for Migration and Asylum established a National Mechanism for the Detection and Protection of Unaccompanied Children, in cooperation with the IOM, Aris, METAdrasi and the Network for Children’s Rights. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Policy Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation The Greek Asylum Service launched a call to extend the Register of Lawyers providing legal aid to applicants for international protection EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2022 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Presidential Decree No 77/17.11.2022 established Closed Controlled Access Centres (CCACs) on Samos, Kos, Leros, Lesvos and Chios as regional services of the Reception and Identification Service. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
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 2022 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Reception and Identification Service (RIS) created and deployed a team of case management assistants for reception facilities under its responsibility throughout Greece to ensure the identification of needs, referral and follow-up for all persons residing in reception facilities. A standard operating procedure was drafted to create a harmonised system for case management in first- and second-line reception. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A ministerial decision underlined that material reception conditions can be withdrawn, keeping the right to education and medical support, when an applicant breaches the accommodation rules of any type of facility, especially in the case of violent behaviour. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Greek Asylum Service launched the procedure to register rapporteurs in the special register in the regions of Samos, Lesvos and Chios. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Policy Access to information Access to information The Ministry of Migration and Asylum launched an online helpdesk for beneficiaries of international protection. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2022 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A new classification of laws on international protection, reception and temporary protection was set in a new code through Law No 4939/2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
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 2022 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Reception capacity decreased and the ESTIA programme was completed and discontinued. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Greece Flag Greece 2019 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The length of residence permits for beneficiaries of subsidiary protection was decreased to one year (from three years), renewable for two years. EL LEG 05 2019
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
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Policy Access to procedure icon Access to procedure In the framework of the Consolidated Government Policy Plan 2021, the Prime Minister announced among the main projects related to asylum and migration the establishment of an innovative closed controlled structures on the island and inland with multiple levels of security. EASO Asylum Report 2021
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 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