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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
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications Applications from return facilities (CPR, centro di permanenza per il rimpatrio) and safe countries of origin are assessed within the accelerated procedure. Applications from a safe country of origin will follow the 9-day procedure, while a new ground for the 5-day procedure was established for applicants convicted of serious crimes. The 18-day procedure was revoked. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The procedure for a decision on the suspensive effect of an appeal in the second instance has to be taken by the court in a collegial decision. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A decree law aimed to regularise different residence and employment situations, including the irregular employment of applicants in agriculture, husbandry, fishing, personal assistance services and domestic work. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Language courses, psychological assistance and integration activities were re-established for all applicants residing in reception centres. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection SIPROIMI was transformed into SAI (System for Reception and Integration). Asylum applicants can now access these reception centres. However, a distinction between services provided to different profiles is made: only beneficiaries of protection can benefit from labour orientation and professional training. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The income and family support measures provided in the Cura Italia Decree, including a EUR 600 allowance, babysitting allowance and COVID-19 special leave, were made accessible to applicants in employment. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The grounds for detention were extended: i) when there is a condition for which the rejection of refugee status (for reasons of national security or public order) and exclusion from subsidiary protection status is foreseen and ii) when a subsequent application is issued during the execution of a removal order. 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
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The amendments strengthened the duty of authorities to provide information about a detained applicant's rights and entitlements. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The amendments further clairfied detention conditions. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Detained applicants can address petitions and complaints to the national, regional and local ombudspersons. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The maximum length of detention was shortened to 90 days from 180 days. This can be prolonged with an additional 30 days for citizens of a country that has signed repatriation agreement with Italy. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Interpretation services Interpretation services The National Commission for Asylum in Italy was considering adding new criteria into public tenders to ensure that interpreters have a suitable level of comprehension of the Italian language. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Labour market access was granted to persons under humanitarian protection for medical reasons or due to natural disasters. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Legislative Decree No 130/2020 created a special 2-year permit based on respect of the non-refoulement principle. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Legislative Decree No 34/2020 promoted regularisation on the basis of transforming undeclared work to regular employment in certain labour sectors, and this process could be initiated by asylum applicants as well. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Legislative Decree No 130/2020 opened labour market access to beneficiaries of national forms of protection based on medical reasons or due to natural disasters. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The list of circumstances in which protection against refoulement applies was extended. In addition to cases where a foreigner is at risk of being subjected to torture in the country of origin, the list includes cases where a person may be subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment and where there is a risk of a violation of the right to respect for private and family life. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Council of Ministers adopted a protocol between the government and regions, the autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano and local authorities to harmonise the implementation of a multi-disciplinary age-assessment procedure. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Ministry of Labour and Social Policies launched a project, Protezione Unita a Obiettivo Integrazione, which provided effective pathways to the labour market for beneficiaries of international protection, persons with humanitarian status or persons who entered the country as unaccompanied minors. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Italy Flag Italy 2019 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure A new security decree adopted by the Council of Ministers stated that boats suspected of facilitating irregular migration may be refused entry into Italian ports and boats violating the ban could face substantial fines and be seized by the authorities. IT LEG 01 2019
Italy Flag Italy 2019 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications The decree identified border or transit zones in several provinces and established two additional sections of the Territorial Commissions in Apulia and Sicily. IT LEG 02 2019
Italy Flag Italy 2019 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications New Inter-ministerial Decree defined a list of safe countries of origin. IT LEG 03 2019
Italy Flag Italy 2019 Legislative Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Within the Protection System for Beneficiaries of International Protection and Unaccompanied Foreign Minors (SIPROIMI), the Ministry of the Interior in Italy allocated funds to finance projects, organised by local authorities, related to unaccompanied minors. IT LEG 04 2019
Italy Flag Italy 2021 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Decree Law No 139 provided for the creation of 3,000 new places for families in the System for Reception and Integration (SAI). EUAA Asylum Report 2022