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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
Ireland Flag Ireland 2022 Policy Content of protection Content of protection A regularisation scheme was launched, under which applicants who had been waiting for a decision for more than 2 years may access the labour market and acquire a residence permit. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Ireland Flag Ireland 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The Chairperson of the International Protection Appeals Tribunal issued a new Guideline on Taking Evidence from Appellants and Other Witnesses. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Ireland Flag Ireland 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Interpreters were permitted to use videoconferencing during the first instance procedures rather than provide interpretation by telephone. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Ireland Flag Ireland 2020 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services The Advisory Group on the Provision of Support including Accommodation to Persons in the International Protection Process examined issues regarding the provision of interpretation during accommodation in the International Protection Process in Ireland and recommended to introduce an accreditation test for interpreters from mid-2023 and to adopt a code of conduct. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Ireland Flag Ireland 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Based on the findings of the report of the Advisory Group on the Provision of Support including Accommodation to Persons in the International Protection Process, the government would publish a White Paper on the replacement of the Direct Provision System with a new, non-profit international protection accommodation policy. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Ireland Flag Ireland 2022 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The International Protection Act was amended to provide for the prioritisation of applications from safe countries of origin and the acceleration of appeal proceedings before the International Protection Appeals Tribunal. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Ireland Flag Ireland 2019 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions A new phase of the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) was announced by the Department of Justice and Equality. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Ireland Flag Ireland 2019 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants Section 3(1) of the Immigration Act 1999 was amended to confirm that the Minister’s power to make a deportation order is subject to the prohibition of refoulement set out in the Immigration Act 1999, Section 3A. The Minister for Justice and Equality clarified that this legal amendment corrected a gap in the law. IE LEG 01 2019
Ireland Flag Ireland 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The prioritisation procedure was updated, which re-confirmed that asylum interviews for unaccompanied minor applicants can be scheduled with priority. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Ireland Flag Ireland 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Minister of State with special responsibility for Equality, Immigration and Integration announced EUR 500,000 for community integration projects under the Communities Integration Fund. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Ireland Flag Ireland 2020 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants If the period of validity of a return order made in respect of a person whose application for international protection is determined to be inadmissible expires and the person has not been returned, it will be assumed that the person would like to apply for international protection, which will be notified in writing with an invitation to complete the form. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Ireland Flag Ireland 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications The Withdrawal of the UK from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Act 2020 introduced the concept of a safe third country into the International Protection Act 2015 and enabled the Minister for Justice to designate by order a country as a safe third country. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Ireland Flag Ireland 2019 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Regular interviews now take place through teleconference or videoconference in Cork and from video suites in courthouses. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Ireland Flag Ireland 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection A regularisation scheme was launched with a strand for undocumented migrants and another for applicants for international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Ireland Flag Ireland 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The International Protection Act 2015 (Section 51B)(Places of Detention) Regulations 2020 set out the places of detention for the purpose of facilitating the return of a person whose application for international protection was determined to be inadmissible and who is subject of a return order. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Ireland Flag Ireland 2022 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The International Protection Student Scheme 2022-2023 provided grants to eligible school leavers in the international protection system. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Ireland Flag Ireland 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The waiting period to apply for a work permit for applicants for international protection was reduced from 9 months to 6 months, with an extended validity from 6 months to 12 months. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Ireland Flag Ireland 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Department of Justice omitted interviews for certain profiles (such as applicants from Afghanistan, Eritrea and Somalia) in order to speed up the asylum procedure. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Ireland Flag Ireland 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Immigration Service launched a new website in July 2021 and published a new Digitisation Strategy to transition from paper-based processes to more efficient immigration services. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Ireland Flag Ireland 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The International Protection Office implemented a new case load management system. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Ireland Flag Ireland 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Applicants living in reception centres became entitled to the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Ireland Flag Ireland 2019 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The “National Standards for Accommodation Offered to People in the Protection Process” and a report on direct provision from the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice and Equality were published. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Ireland Flag Ireland 2022 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure A bill was adopted to modify the National Referral Mechanism for human trafficking. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Ireland Flag Ireland 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure As part of the reform of the reception system, the IPAS announced the development of a new LGBTIQ resident policy, including accommodation for transgender applicants. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Italy Flag Italy 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Clerks were deployed to support judges assigned to the specialised section on migration, with the objective of reducing the backlog at second instance. EUAA Asylum Report 2023