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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 Sort ascending Thematic area Development Source
Croatia Flag Croatia 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection Coordinators were appointed to social welfare centres and branch offices to provide support in accessing social welfare and, more broadly, in fostering inclusion in the local community. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services BAMF launched a new software to administer interpretation services. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Croatia Flag Croatia 2019 Policy Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation The AMIF project, “Providing legal advice in the process of granting international protection”, was implemented as of 1 April 2019. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Belgium Flag Belgium 2021 Policy Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The Immigration Office set up a new department for alternatives to detention. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Courts were added to the Computerized Asylum Service System (CASS) database and case files were incorporated in the system. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Finland Flag Finland 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The national Action Plan against Trafficking in Human Beings was adopted. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Romania Flag Romania 2020 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions A new Emergency Transit Centre was opened in Timisoara providing temporary accommodation for beneficiaries of international protection waiting to be resettled to a third country. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Germany Flag Germany 2021 Policy Country of origin information Country of origin information The COI unit employed more country analysts and formed new regional teams, resulting in a larger production of new country reports. The production line of COI reports was streamlined and an internal peer review was introduced amongst the regional analyst teams. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Statelessness in the context of asylum Statelessness in the context of asylum The Swedish Migration Agency updated its legal position on the assessment of cases by stateless persons, who previously had their habitual residence in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. (The legal position was repealed in 2021 and is no longer in force.) EASO Asylum Report 2021
Ireland Flag Ireland 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A review of all international protection processes was undertaken and the results were shared in October 2021. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The Federal Administrative Court published its report on the evaluation of the asylum appeals procedure after the reform of the asylum procedure entered into force in 2019. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Ministry of the Interior published a circular informing prefectures about the possibility of regularisation on the basis of transforming undeclared work to regular employment. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
France Flag France 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The French National Assembly drafted a report evaluating labour market integration policies of applicants and refugees. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Latvia Flag Latvia 2021 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The Ombudsperson concluded aiming to improve the mechanism for monitoring the forced removal of third-country nationals to ensure compliance with Directive 2008/115/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Latvia Flag Latvia 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Support measures for beneficiaries of international protection (refugees and persons with alternative status), reception and accommodation in Latvia continued in 2020 with funding from AMIF, providing integration courses, Latvian language courses, as well as cultural, sports and recreational events and events fostering intercultural communication and co-operation with the local community. Information Centres for Newcomers (ICI) continued to operate in five different location and help newcomers with the orientation of administration and daily life, following their establishment in 2016 with AMIF support. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Malta Flag Malta 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The International Protection Agency adopted guidelines on the application of the recast Qualification Directive Articles 15(b) and 15(c) for applicants from Libya. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The introduction of the new civic integration system is further postponed and it is foreseen to be launched on 1 January 2022 instead of 1 July 2021. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The policy was adjusted on the assessment of the cases of persons from Turkey, who are active in politics, journalism or human rights. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The State Secretary for Justice and Security announced that the so-called guest arrangement (logeerregeling) for beneficiaries of international protection will continue and is planned to be expanded. Under this arrangement, beneficiaries of international protection may volunteer to be placed with a host family, family or friends, while they are in wait for their definitive housing arrangement. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Norway Flag Norway 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The UDI commissioned an assessment of the quality of 150 asylum interviews and decisions in order to use the findings to draft guidelines and policy instructions to case officers who decide on asylum claims. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Belgium Flag Belgium 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Immigration Office provided detailed guidance on the exceptional circumstances to extend the validity of family reunification decisions and the validity of supporting documents. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Romania Flag Romania 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure New standard operating procedures were developed in Romania on the identification, needs assessment, assistance and referral of vulnerable persons. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Croatia Flag Croatia 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Croatian Action Plan for the Integration of Persons Granted International Protection was developed in 2020 and is foreseen to be implemented throughout 2021-2023. EASO Asylum Report 2021
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
Finland Flag Finland 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Following an ECHR decision at the end of 2019, the Finnish Immigration Service reviewed approximately 500 cases. EASO Asylum Report 2021