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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
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The list of safe countries of origin was entirely revised following a decision of the Council of State. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Belgium Flag Belgium 2022 Policy Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The list of safe countries of origin was reviewed, but no changes were introduced. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The implementation of Article 90(3) and (5) of Law No 4636/2019 on the exceptional border procedure that applies to third-country nationals in Reception and Identification Centres in Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Leros and Kos was extended until 31 December 2021. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Iceland Flag Iceland 2021 Policy Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Ukraine was removed from the list of safe countries (decision published in February 2022). EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Denmark Flag Denmark 2022 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The list of safe countries of origin was updated, and Russia was removed from the list. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2022 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The list of safe countries of origin was revised and Ukraine was removed from the list. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Greece Flag Greece 2022 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The list of safe countries of origin was updated and Ukraine was removed from the list. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The list of safe countries of origin was updated, adding Armenia, Benin, Kenya, Kosovo, Moldova, Mongolia and Togo. 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
Italy Flag Italy 2022 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Italy revised its list of safe countries of origin, de facto suspending Ukraine. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Sweden Flag Sweden 2021 Policy Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The Swedish Migration Agency published three legal positions related to the handling of subsequent applications. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
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
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The simplified procedure (Track 2), equivalent to the accelerated procedure, was extended to other categories of applicants. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Estonia Flag Estonia 2022 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Ukraine was removed from the list of safe countries of origin. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
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
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Bangladesh and Pakistan were designated as safe countries of origin. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Austria Flag Austria 2022 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Ukraine was removed from the list of safe countries of origin. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Czech Flag Czech Republic 2022 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The list of safe countries of origin was amended. Ukraine was removed, while Armenia and the UK were included. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Malta Flag Malta 2021 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs A new legal provision notes that only the International Protection Agency can designate a country as a safe country of origin, and it must be included in the Schedule to the International Protection Act. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Greece Flag Greece 2022 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The application of the joint ministerial decision that provided for the application of the exceptional border procedure was not renewed. Border procedures apply only to applicants for international protection who arrive on the islands of Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Kos and Leros and live in a Reception and Identification Centre (RIC) or a Closed Controlled Access Centre (CCAC). EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The Unites States, Armenia and Trinidad and Tobago were re-assessed as safe countries of origin. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Sweden Flag Sweden 2021 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Legislative changes to the Aliens Act were introduced allowing the Migration Agency to reject an application as manifestly unfounded when the applicant comes from a country included in the list of safe countries of origin. The decision becomes immediately enforceable with no automatic suspensive effect or the right to remain pending the outcome of an appeal procedure. The agency published a corresponding legal position. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2022 Policy Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The time limit for the International Protection Administrative Court to issue a decision on an appeal is 7 days from the registration of the appeal with the court. An appeal against such decisions must be lodged within 10 days from the notification. If the challenged decision is a detention order, the IPAC must issue its decision within 2 days. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Turkey was designated a safe third country for applicants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Somalia and Syria. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Norway Flag Norway 2022 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Norway revised its list of safe countries of origin. EUAA Asylum Report 2023