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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 ascending Country Year Type of development Thematic area Development Source
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2019 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Migration Office of the Ministry of the Interior prepared an internal methodology for social workers (“Social Workers’ Competences to Avoid and Solve Critical Situations”) identifying the most frequent types of extraordinary and critical situations that social workers may encounter in asylum facilities, their possible causes and solutions to avoid or manage such situations. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2022 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure A new government regulation was adopted allowing the adult accompanying a child to be appointed as a legal guardian even if they do not have legal custody. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2022 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Asylum Act was amended and codified the practice that applicants can stay outside of the reception facility for 3 months, with the possibility of extending this period without losing the right to material reception conditions. The act also regulates the initial integration of beneficiaries of international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2021 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants A new strategic document on migration policy was adopted, with an emphasis on voluntary returns rather than forced returns. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Slovakia established a new quality assurance mechanism for the asylum procedure, to be carried out every 6 months or on an ad hoc basis. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2021 Legislative Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation A draft amendment to the Asylum Act and other related acts was adopted and put to public consultation, listing services available to asylum applicants. The amendments are expected to enter into force in June 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2019 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services The Migration Office of the Ministry of the Interior issued the guideline, “Procedure of the Provision of Interpretation and Translation Services in the Domain of the Migration Office”. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Additional staff were hired to tackle the pending backlog of cases and shorten delays in the asylum procedure. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure New national action plans were adopted for combating trafficking in human beings. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2021 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Amendments to the International Protection Act (IPA) introduced the right to appeal a decision of the Administrative Court before the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court must decide on the appeal within 30 days. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2021 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The time limit to lodge an appeal before the Administrative Court against a decision issued in the accelerated procedure was reduced from 8 days to 3 days. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2021 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure Authorities can request an age assessment already when an asylum application is made, instead of when it is lodged. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2022 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The list of safe countries of origin was revised. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2021 Legislative Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation Legal counsellors must undergo a security check and be granted access to classified information in order to perform activities during the asylum procedure. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2021 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Following amendments to the International Protection Act (IPA), two new decrees were adopted on an applicant’s reception rights and accommodations for unaccompanied children, as well as a decree on house rules of the asylum centre. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2021 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Following amendments to the International Protection Act (IPA), rules were adopted on the procedure for foreigners who wish to apply for international protection and the procedure for accepting applications for international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2020 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Government Office for the Care and Integration of Migrants, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Labor, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, the Police, the Ministry of Justice, 11 participating NGOs and UNHCR signed the revised standard operational procedures for the prevention and action in cases of sexual and gender-based violence against persons treated under the provisions of the International Protection Act. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2022 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A new contingency plan was adopted to ensure accommodation and care in the event of a sudden or gradual increase in the number of applicants for international protection. The plan also addresses the implementation of international protection procedures and provides for personnel and financial adjustments in the event of opening new accommodation facilities. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2021 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure Amendments to the International Protection Act (IPA) clarified that applicants awaiting a transfer to another country under the Dublin III Regulation have the same reception rights as other applicants until their transfer. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2021 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure Amendments to the International Protection Act (IPA) clarified that unaccompanied children should be accommodated in child-friendly institutions instead of reception centres. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A proposal was put forward and adopted in 2021 to amend the International Protection Act. Among a set of comprehensive changes, for example, sanctions would apply when an applicant does not comply with the duties or obstructs the implementation of the asylum procedure. The amendment also widens the grounds on which an asylum application can be rejected as manifestly unfounded. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2022 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Legal provisions on the entitlement to material reception conditions were amended, and the situation of applicants going through a Dublin procedure was clarified. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2021 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure Amendments to the International Protection Act (IPA) ensured that unaccompanied children have continued legal representation even after a decision is given on their asylum application. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2021 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The new sanction system for breaching house rules of the reception facility started to be applied. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2021 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions A pre-departure orientation programme was introduced which replaced the 3-month introductory activities post-arrival. EUAA Asylum Report 2022