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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
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2022 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Foreigners came into effect, noting additional grounds for the detention of asylum applicants during a state of emergency or an extreme situation due to a mass influx. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2019 Institutional The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The transfer of asylum applicants to the responsible Dublin state became the task of the State Border Guard Service. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2022 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure Amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Foreigners came into effect, noting that during a state of emergency or an extreme situation due to a mass influx, foreigners may lodge an application for international protection from abroad within consular posts designated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Additional amendments were passed when an application is considered to be lodged under this procedure, when the Border Guard should still accept applications for international protection from persons who have crossed the border in an irregular manner, and circumstances when the application is not accepted. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2020 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants An amendment clarified that a return decision cannot be issued pending the examination of an application for international protection. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2019 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection A new ground was added to withdraw subsidiary protection: when there is a serious ground that the person’s stay in the country would represent a threat to national security or the community. LT LEG 01 2019
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure A new alternative to detention was introduced, limiting the right to free movement to the territory of the accommodation facility. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2021 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection An amended law entered into force in June 2021 allowing beneficiaries of international protection to apply for family reunification with facilitated conditions for 6 months from being granted the status. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The government increased the threshold of subsidies for municipalities from 80 % to 100 % of the rental prices announced by the Housing Observatory to encourage rentals for beneficiaries of international protection. Beneficiaries may also continue to live in reception facilities for a small fee. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2022 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure A bill proposed the introduction of non-negligible risk of absconding as a reason for detention, specifying in what cases this risk is presumed. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2020 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure A new regulation sets out the operation and work process of the interdisciplinary commission to evaluate the best interests of unaccompanied minors in a return decision. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance A draft amendment of the Law on international protection and on temporary protection would introduce changes to appeal possibilities against a decision to withdraw international protection. The amendment would align appeals against withdrawals with those against refusals in the normal procedure for greater harmony, whereas currently an appeal against withdrawals falls under common law. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2021 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions The government pledged to receive 90 Afghan nationals at risk, including girls, women, former judges and human rights activists during 2021 and 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2019 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants An interdisciplinary commission was established to evaluate the best interests of unaccompanied minors in return decisions. LU LEG 03 2019
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Reception structures by type of procedure were established in the initial reception system. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2019 Legislative Interpretation services Interpretation services Luxembourg increased its translation and interpretation budget by about EUR 180 000. LU LEG 01 2019
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2021 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants Amendments were introduced to the amended Immigration Law of 2008 to ensure a more effective management of the removal of third-country nationals who are illegally residing in Luxembourg. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A new arrival centre opened in Luxembourg City, where all asylum and reception stakeholders are present at the same location. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2022 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The list of safe countries of origin was amended through the Grand-Ducal Regulation of 23 January 2023. Ukraine and Croatia were removed from the list and the name of the Republic of North Macedonia was adapted. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2020 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection An amendment to the Immigration Law was presented to the parliament, which aimed to simplify the family reunification procedure in general and to extend the time limit for facilitated family reunification criteria for beneficiaries of international protection from 3 months to 6 months. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2019 Institutional The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The Dublin Unit of the Directorate of Immigration was moved from the Return Unit, Department for Returns to the Asylum Unit, Department for Refugees. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2020 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure A draft law would amend the Law on international protection and temporary protection by extending the group of officers of the Grand Ducal Police authorised to carry out checks required in the context of the submission of an application for international protection. It is proposed to confer this power to all members of the Grand Ducal Police, whereas at present, this task is exclusively reserved for members of the judicial police service. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2019 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The Law on Social Inclusion Income (REVIS) entered into force on 1 January 2019. All beneficiaries of international protection and their family members aged 25 or older can benefit from the social inclusion income. LU LEG 04 2019
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A complete IT overhaul was implemented in the reception system. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The National Reception Office (ONA, Office nationale de l'accueil) was established. LU LEG 02 2019
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Cases lodged by Afghan nationals were processed where the need for protection was evident, so only positive decisions were issued, as well as inadmissible and Dublin decisions, while negative decisions were suspended. From the end of January 2022, the examination of these cases resumed, and the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum scheduled applicants for a complementary interview to discuss changes in their situation if the initial interview was done before 15 August 2021. EUAA Asylum Report 2022