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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 Country Year Type of development Thematic area Sort descending Development Source
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Children's protective custody was abolished. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Poland Flag Poland 2022 Policy Detention Detention during the asylum procedure A special strategy was developed to provide additional places in detention centres in an emergency situation. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Czech Flag Czech Republic 2019 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure A new alternative to detention was approved, involving stays at a designated residence with regular checks. CZ LEG 01 2019
Greece Flag Greece 2022 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Presidential Decree No 77/17.11.2022 established Closed Controlled Access Centres (CCACs) on Samos, Kos, Leros, Lesvos and Chios as regional services of the Reception and Identification Service. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure A “detention for non-cooperation” (Mitwirkungshaft) of 14 days was introduced, enforceable against foreigners who do not cooperate in the establishment of their identity in the framework of return. DE LEG 03 2019
Poland Flag Poland 2021 Policy Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The training centre of the Ministry of National Defence in Wędrzyn was lent to the Border Guard for purpose of detention, and two Border Guard stations in proximity of the Belarusian border (Dubicze Cerkiewne and Połowce) became centres for the registration of foreigners in which the foreigners were held after being issued a decision on detention, before being transported to a detention centre. 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
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
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 2019 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure An amendment allowed a systematic verification process for the prolongation of a third country national’s administrative detention. LU LEG 03 2019
Sweden Flag Sweden 2019 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The Swedish Migration Agency revised its Dublin tracks by reflecting the estimated handling time of the case and improvements to its IT systems allowed more rapid information exchanges on Dublin cases. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2019 Legislative 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. LT LEG 01 2019
Italy Flag Italy 2022 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure A new circular clarifying the connection between an application for a special protection permit (a national form of protection) and the Dublin procedure was published. It states that an application for special protection should be deemed inadmissible if the applicant has also applied for international protection and is involved in a pending Dublin procedure. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Finland Flag Finland 2021 Institutional The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The entire staff of the Dublin unit changed and new colleagues received extensive training throughout the year. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2019 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure An amendment of the Dutch Aliens Act (Vw, Vreemdelingenwet), Article 50a, permitted applicants or Dublin claimants, who are legally residing after a decision on the asylum application and awaiting a Dublin transfer, to be stopped, transferred to a place to be questioned and kept in custody for a maximum of six hours if needed to assess whether detention is necessary in the framework of the Dublin procedure. NL LEG 01 2019
Belgium Flag Belgium 2021 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The State Secretary for Asylum and Migration extended the transfer period from 6 months to 18 months for applicants in the Dublin procedure who refused to undergo PCR testing. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Finland Flag Finland 2019 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The first transfer decision to Greece since 2011 was made. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The Minister for Migration announced that the Track 1 procedure, which was established for applicants in the Dublin procedure, would be standardised and made more efficient. In addition, applicants in the Dublin procedure are planned to be offered more moderate material reception conditions, in line with shorter processing times which are foreseen. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2022 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure A new legal provision was adopted to provide for the suspension of a transfer decision when a third-country national under the Dublin procedure absconds. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
United Kingdom United Kingdom 2019 Institutional The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure Three teams from the Home Office, UK Visas and Immigration, Third Country Unit in London were transferred to Glasgow under the newly-established Home Office Immigration Enforcement Third Country Unit, taking over responsibility for Dublin out cases. The fourth team remained in London and became the Dublin Cessation Team (DCT). EASO Asylum Report 2020
Belgium Flag Belgium 2019 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The Immigration Office increased its staff working on Dublin cases. EASO Asylum Report 2020
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
Belgium Flag Belgium 2021 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The State Secretary for Asylum and Migration announced that children, applicants with vulnerabilities and first-time applicants have priority to receive reception over applicants who have already sought asylum in another EU Member State. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Norway Flag Norway 2022 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure Guidelines clarified that the Dublin III Regulation did not apply to persons who were granted collective protection (a status similar to temporary protection in the EU framework). EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Belgium Flag Belgium 2022 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The accelerated procedure for specific, predefined potential Dublin cases was revised. EUAA Asylum Report 2023