|
Lithuania |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The Migration Department may take joint decisions on asylum applicants of the same family (previously they were always taken jointly), provided that a joint decision does not disclose personal circumstances of an applicant which could pose a threat to best interests. |
LT LEG 01 2019 |
|
Belgium |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The notification of negative decisions was temporarily suspended for applicants from Afghanistan in August 2021 and the suspension was fully lifted on 2 March 2022. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Sweden |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
A legal position was published on public assistants, outlining the requirements to be appointed by the Swedish Migration Agency. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Switzerland |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The State Secretariat for Migration presented the results of the first evaluation of the law that reformed the asylum procedure in 2019. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Malta |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The International Protection Agency introduced a policy to optimise case management in an effort to address the considerable backlog of pending cases, including a minimum quota for case officers to conduct interviews and submit assessments, a rule to hold one interview where all information is collected, and electronic ways of communicating notifications for interviews. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Austria |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
Austria's new coalition government announced in January 2020 in its programme for the new government (2020-2024) to work on a comprehensive strategy on migration, based on a clear separation of migration and asylum. The programme foresees shortening and modernising asylum procedures. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Belgium |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
A legal amendment explicitly allowed the CGRS to organise interviews through videoconference for applicants for international protection. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Greece |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The Ministry of Migration and Asylum and the Asylum Service were in the process of digitalising and some of the following procedures can now be done online: submit the full registration (lodging) for pre-registered applicants, request to change the date of the interview, request to change the personal data or contact information, request a statement on the application status, submit additional documents, apply for legal aid and apply for a Provisional Social Security and Health Care Number. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Germany |
2022 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
Germany announced adapting its policy on women and girls from Afghanistan. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Hungary |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
Government Decree No 411/2020 (VIII.30.) extended the validity of Government Decree No 41/2016 (III.9.) until 7 March 2021, stating that there is a continued state of crisis caused by mass migration. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Ireland |
2022 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
Interpreters were permitted to use videoconferencing during the first instance procedures rather than provide interpretation by telephone. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Switzerland |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The provisions concerning the new accelerated asylum procedures entered into force on 1 March 2019, following the adoption of the new Asylum Law in September 2015, the national referendum in June 2016 and the pilot projects carried out in Zurich, Boudry and Giffers. |
CH LEG 01 2019 |
|
Denmark |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
Amendments to the Aliens Act and the Return Act foresee the possibility to transfer suddenly-arrived asylum seekers to a partner country outside of the EU to process their asylum applications and subsequently provide protection to those in need. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Belgium |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The CGRS published updates on the processing of applications filed by Palestinians. For Palestinians for whom a particular individual well-founded fear of persecution is not established and who depend on assistance from the UNRWA, it must be checked if the individual can still count on assistance from the UNRWA. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Sweden |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The Swedish Migration Agency updated its legal position on the situation in the Tigray region in Ethiopia. (The legal position was repealed in 2021 and is no longer in force.) |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Slovenia |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
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 |
|
Belgium |
2022 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The CGRS fully resumed the assessment of asylum claims lodged by Afghan applicants. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Hungary |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
Under Asylum Law, Article 15, the threshold to exclude a person from subsidiary protection became lower: instead of violating national security, it is enough if the person's stay in the country endangers national security. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Estonia |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The amendment of the Act on Granting International Protection to Aliens allows the PBGB to request assistance from EASO and to be involved in the processing of an asylum application in the territory of another state, based on an international agreement or an EU act. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
France |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
Several provisions of the Law of 10 September 2018 entered into force in 2019 on managed immigration, an effective right of asylum and successful integration. |
FR LEG 06 2019 |
|
Germany |
2020 |
Institutional |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The Franco-German Parliamentary Assembly created a new joint working group on migration, asylum and integration. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Netherlands |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The length of the regular procedure was reduced to 6 days instead of 8 days, with the possibility to extend it by 3 days for complex cases. The possibilities to omit the rest and preparation period (RVT) were extended. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Switzerland |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
A parliamentary initiative was adopted on the obligation to cooperate in the asylum procedure, which includes the possibility of checking an applicant’s mobile phone. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Sweden |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The Swedish Migration Agency updated its legal position on the assessment of applications from Afghan citizens, based on revised country of origin information. The security situation was assessed to be largely unchanged and the legal position includes slight adjustments. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Czech Republic |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The reasons for excluding from or ending international protection were expanded following a legislative amendment. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |