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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 ascending Development Source
Spain Flag Spain 2019 Legislative Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The decree enabled the reception centres for unaccompanied minors in Ceuta and Melilla to receive funding directly. ES LEG 01 2019
Austria Flag Austria 2019 Legislative Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The federal government and the provinces concluded an agreement to harmonise the child and youth welfare system in general, defining the responsibilities of the provinces in providing care and support to unaccompanied minors. AT LEG 01 2019
France Flag France 2019 Legislative Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups A new database (AEM, Appui à l’évaluation de minorité) was created, providing support from central state authorities to the départements in carrying out age assessments. FR LEG 04 2019
Malta Flag Malta 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The AWAS established the Therapeutic Services Unit (TSU) for migrants suffering from psychological disorders due to trauma, with a special team dedicated to children and unaccompanied minors. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The local Youth Welfare Office in charge of the initial screening of an unaccompanied minor is now obliged to ensure that the minor is identified and the data are transmitted to the Central Register of Foreigners, (AZR, Ausländerzentralregister). DE LEG 01 2019
Sweden Flag Sweden 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups A new electronic personal interview form with child-friendly language and structure was developed. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Development of a screening system for vulnerable applicants was developed in the First Reception Centre “Pournara”, with the tool waiting to be implemented in practice. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Sweden Flag Sweden 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The Swedish Migration Agency published a new handbook on human trafficking, with a part focusing on improving the identification of victims and perpetrators within the asylum procedure. The template for interviewing unaccompanied minors was updated to better detect signs of human trafficking. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Belgium Flag Belgium 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The CGRS, in cooperation with the Guardianship Service, organised several training sessions for guardians on the asylum procedure for unaccompanied minors. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Finland Flag Finland 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Internal instructions guidelines for case workers were updated to report female genital mutilation or the risk thereof to the police and child protection services. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Belgium Flag Belgium 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The CGRS implemented a quality control process for gender-related cases, starting with cases which invoked sexual orientation as a ground to monitor the application of its Sexual Orientation Guideline. EASO Asylum Report 2020
United Kingdom United Kingdom 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The guidance on age assessment was updated. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Austria Flag Austria 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The Asyl-Train project implemented by IOM Austria continued in 2019 and provided training to relevant national authorities and service providers to help identify trafficked persons in the framework of the asylum procedure. EASO Asylum Report 2020
France Flag France 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups OFPRA published its new asylum guide for unaccompanied minors. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2019 Legislative Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Amendments entered into force to replace the former facility for minors with centres for children and family. SK LEG 02 2019
Greece Flag Greece 2019 Legislative Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Social Solidarity in Greece issued several ministerial decisions throughout the year related to the registry of professional guardianship, guardian selection criteria, training and the procedures for the assessment and determination of the best interests of the child. EL LEG 06 2019, EL LEG 07 2019, EL LEG 08 2019, EL LEG 09 2019
Sweden Flag Sweden 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The Swedish Migration Agency published new instructions on handling LGBTI cases and changed its system on assessing these cases. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups A newly-built dormitory opened for a maximum of 15 vulnerable persons at the Foreigners’ Registration Centre of the State Border Guard Service. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Sweden Flag Sweden 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups In preparation for the entry into force of the UN CRC Act (2018:1197) on 1 January 2020, the Swedish Migration Agency developed guidelines on assessing the best interests of the child in accordance with Article 3 of the UN CRC, trained around 500 case officers and 40 head of units in children's rights, and developed a technical tool supporting the determination of the best interests of the child. It also developed new guidelines on the placement of unaccompanied minor applicants assigned to a municipality. Information on the asylum procedure was developed specially for children aged 7 to 12 years, available through a mobile application. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Belgium Flag Belgium 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The staff of two Fedasil reception centres underwent intensive training on restorative practices, developed by the Oranjehuis NGO, to prevent conflicts between unaccompanied minors and staff, provide sustainable measures for minors and reduce the need for disciplinary transfers. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2019 Legislative Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Major changes were implemented for applicants in the Dublin procedure who claimed to be victims of human trafficking. This group of applicants will now only receive the special temporary residence permit for victims of human trafficking if their presence is considered to be essential for the investigation and prosecution of the case, and the Netherlands as a consequence only takes responsibility for their application if that is the case. NL LEG 05 2019
Latvia Flag Latvia 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups 80 State Border Guard officers participated in training on unaccompanied minors and other vulnerable persons applying or not applying for asylum (upgraded training programme), “Profiling, interviewing and identification”. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Belgium Flag Belgium 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The CGRS continued training protection officers and supervisors who were joining the minors team, and informative sessions were organised to all new protection officers. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Finland Flag Finland 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The AMIF-funded Competent Representative (Osaava edustaja) project was launched, developing online training for representatives of unaccompanied minors. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Belgium Flag Belgium 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The Guardianship Service continued with an AMIF-funded project to develop a methodology for monitoring guardians and the assessment of the best interests of minors and worked on improving communications with all stakeholders. EASO Asylum Report 2020