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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 Sort descending Type of development Thematic area Development Source
Austria Flag Austria 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection Austria continued to focus on the labour market integration of beneficiaries of international protection, organised targeted employment fairs and mentoring programmes specifically tailored to migrant women. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Estonia Flag Estonia 2019 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The Estonian Police and Border Guard Board started to issue “three in one” decisions combining a negative decision on an asylum application, a return decision and a decision to impose a prohibition to entry. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Italy Flag Italy 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Ministry of Labour and Social Policies launched a project, Protezione Unita a Obiettivo Integrazione, which provided effective pathways to the labour market for beneficiaries of international protection, persons with humanitarian status or persons who entered the country as unaccompanied minors. EASO Asylum Report 2020
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
Sweden Flag Sweden 2019 Legislative Statelessness in the context of asylum Statelessness in the context of asylum Persons born in Sweden and having been stateless since birth may receive under certain conditions a permanent residence permit. SE LEG 01 2019
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2019 Institutional Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The Migration Department became the main institution for migration-related activities. The functions related to asylum procedures, previously performed by police units, were transferred to the Migration Department and the State Border Guard Service (SBGS). EASO Asylum Report 2020
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure In the framework of the custody to secure departure (Ausreisegewahrsam), it was clarified that the risk of absconding is not a determining criteria. A person can be placed in custody to secure departure when the deadline for leaving the country has expired by more than 30 days. DE LEG 03 2019
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Labour market tests are no longer applied for the employment of foreigners whose removal has been suspended or applicants who have a permission to stay pending the asylum decision. DE LEG 05 2019
Italy Flag Italy 2019 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure A new security decree adopted by the Council of Ministers stated that boats suspected of facilitating irregular migration may be refused entry into Italian ports and boats violating the ban could face substantial fines and be seized by the authorities. IT LEG 01 2019
Austria Flag Austria 2019 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection An amendment to the Integration Act requires the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs to provide German courses to a minimum B1 level to beneficiaries of international protection older than 15 years. AT LEG 04 2019
Czech Flag Czech Republic 2019 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications The time limit for the accelerated procedure for international protection was extended from 30 to 90 days. CZ LEG 01 2019
France Flag France 2019 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The decree specifying the conditions to orient applicants to the appropriate authority to lodge an application came into force, which allows as an exception for phone communication with the protection officer for the interview, if neither an in-person nor a video-conference interview is possible with the applicant. FR LEG 07 2019
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Swedish Migration Agency published a legal position on Palestinian passports and their assessment within the asylum procedure. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The Swedish Migration Agency published a new legal position on practical obstacles to the implementation and enforcement of returns. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Denmark Flag Denmark 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) published a new information package for social workers in local authorities on providing specialised employment support to refugee and migrant women. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection 67 hotel accommodation facilities were planned to be closed by the end of 2020, transferring residents to other inland structures. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A special task force was created in March 2020 to deal with the backlog of more than 15,000 asylum applications. It handled 8,200 by the end of 2020 and was foreseen to continue its work until mid-2021. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Ireland Flag Ireland 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Student Support Scheme for people in the International Protection Process was amended and the requirements to have attended three academic years in the Irish school system and to have obtained the Leaving Certificate in Ireland will no longer apply. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Additional staff were hired to tackle the pending backlog of cases and shorten delays in the asylum procedure. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Croatia Flag Croatia 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A new health care project was set up with AMIF funding, in cooperation with Medecins du Monde, to tackle the needs of applicants who have been in transit in Bosnia and Herzegovina and who suffer from chronic illnesses or disabilities. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Institutional Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The organigramme of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum was adopted in December 2020. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Following up on the initiative from the State Secretary for Justice and Security, the COA started to accommodate at a separate location in Budel applicants from safe countries of origin and those who have already obtained international protection in another Member State. Applicants receive only basic material reception conditions in kind and stricter reporting obligation applies to them, as they need to report daily and in addition, every time they leave or come back. The location has extra security personnel. Vulnerable applicants cannot be accommodated here. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Finland Flag Finland 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Government Programme's proposal was under examination to eliminate the sufficient financial resources criteria for family reunifications initiated by minor beneficiaries of international protection. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A draft decree would revise and shorten the Dutch regular asylum procedure from 8 days to 6 days. The draft underwent a public consultation process by the end of November 2020. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Norway Flag Norway 2020 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The Norwegian parliament passed a bill amending the Social Services Act, which requires third-country nationals older than 30 years with insufficient Norwegian knowledge to participate in language training as a condition to receive financial support. EASO Asylum Report 2021