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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
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2019 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure A new software was piloted to store files of applicants who are subject to incoming Dublin requests from other states. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection For the purposes of family reunification of beneficiaries of international protection, it is clearly stated now that family ties must precede the foreigner's entry into the country. BG LEG 01 2019
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2021 Legislative Statelessness in the context of asylum Statelessness in the context of asylum Amendments to the Law on Foreigners introduced new grounds for refusing to grant stateless status. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2019 Institutional Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A separate Social Adaptation Department was established in the Registration and Reception Centre in Harmanli. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2021 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure An amendment was pending approval by the Council of Ministers to modify the “Regulation on responsibilities and coordination of public authorities implementing action on the application of the Dublin III and Eurodac Regulations”. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2020 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Law on Asylum and Refugees was amended to address shortcomings in the identification, legal representation and age assessment procedure for unaccompanied children. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The State Agency for Refugees established a pilot programme of self-care and well-being classes for women in the reception and registration centre Vrazhdebna in Sofia. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2020 Legislative Statelessness in the context of asylum Statelessness in the context of asylum An amendment to the Law on Foreigners was adopted which introduced new grounds for refusing to grant stateless status. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The National Strategy on Migration was adopted for the period 2021-2025. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2022 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The government adopted amendments to the ordinance regulating the coordination between the asylum and police (border and immigration) administrations when implementing the Dublin III Regulation. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The State Agency for Refugees `adapted the EUAA quality assessment tool to review first instance decisions and personal interviews. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The time limits for appeal were clarified and a new paragraph was added which underlines that the court decides exofficio or at the applicants request on their right to remain when the appeal concerns a rejected subsequent application. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The State Agency for Refugees in Bulgaria prepared the framework for distance learning for children accommodated in the agency's facilities. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications Amendments updated the definitions for the terms 'safe country of origin' and 'safe third country' and additional guarantees were added in the law, as foreseen in the recast Asylum Procedures Directive. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Weekly meetings were organised with unaccompanied minors who are subject to proceedings under the Dublin III Regulation. At these meetings, unaccompanied minors are regularly informed of the steps that have been taken regarding their Dublin procedure and of the expected outcome of this procedure. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2019 Legislative Statelessness in the context of asylum Statelessness in the context of asylum An amendment to the Law on Foreigners stated that stateless persons who do not meet the requirements for permanent or long-term residence may obtain permission for a one-year prolonged stay. BG LEG 01 2019
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2021 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Amendments to the Law on Foreigners provide for a temporary automatic suspensive effect of an appeal against an expulsion order based on national-security grounds, containing “substantiated allegations” of important risk of death or ill treatment in the destination country. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Bulgarian State Agency for Refugees monitored throughout 2021 the implementation of amendments from 2020 related to the representation of unaccompanied minors in the asylum procedure. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2020 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The amendments to the Law on Asylum and Refugees in Bulgaria added two new circumstances when international protection status ceases: when a beneficiary passes away or when a person refuses expressly to be recognised as a beneficiary of international protection. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Bulgarian Ministry of Labour and Social Policy extended its refugee employment and training programme for 2021-2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Czech Flag Czech Republic 2020 Legislative Statelessness in the context of asylum Statelessness in the context of asylum A new legislative proposal was presented to the Parliament, which includes among other aspects of the asylum procedure, the establishment of a statelessness determination procedure. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Czech Flag Czech Republic 2019 Policy Access to information Access to information Vulnerable persons are now notified about the right to a medical examination to detect signs of persecution or serious harm. This information is included in the document in which applicants provide data for an application. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Czech Flag Czech Republic 2019 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Ministry of the Interior joined the Videoconferences for Identification (VCI) project. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Czech Flag Czech Republic 2020 Institutional Return of former applicants Return of former applicants Regional offices of the Czech Return Unit were established in Brno and in detention centres in Bela-Jezova, Balkova and Vysni Lhoty. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Czech Flag Czech Republic 2019 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications The list of grounds for subsequent applications was extended in July 2019 if there is reason to believe that asylum or subsidiary protection for the purpose of family reunification will be granted. CZ LEG 01 2019