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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
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2021 Policy Country of origin information Country of origin information Training on methodologies, quality standards and visualisations related to COI production was boosted. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Belgium Flag Belgium 2020 Policy Country of origin information Country of origin information CEDOCA developed a new training programme on COI through an online tutorial. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Policy Country of origin information Country of origin information BAMF launched a two-year training campaign offering workshops on the Top 10 countries of origin. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Poland Flag Poland 2021 Policy Detention Detention during the asylum procedure To accommodate a larger number of detainees, as an emergency solution, the minimum space per person was reduced from 4 sqm to 2 sqm on the basis of the Ordinance of the Minister of the Interior and Administration. All detention centre for families and single women returned to 4 sqm on 25 April 2022, and the centre in Wedrzyn returned to 4 sqm on 6 June 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure A draft law aims to amend the Law on Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria, including, for example, shorter time limits for appealing decisions on pre-removal detention. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The possibility was extended to place a foreigner in custody to secure removal (Sicherungshaft), with the objective to prevent absconding. DE LEG 03 2019
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The law on the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment was amended, formalising the practice that the Ombudsperson can visit freely, unhindered and unannounced any detention facility. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2020 Policy Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Bulgaria increased the capacity of two pre-removal facilities (Busmantsi and Lyubimets) from 700 to 1,060 persons. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The amendments further clairfied detention conditions. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2022 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Legislation was amended to allow for detention at the border for up to 3 days without a judicial review and without a written order. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
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
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The grounds for detention were extended: i) when there is a condition for which the rejection of refugee status (for reasons of national security or public order) and exclusion from subsidiary protection status is foreseen and ii) when a subsequent application is issued during the execution of a removal order. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Hungary Flag Hungary 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Asylum Law, Article 31/A(1a) was amended: It was added that there needs to be a risk of absconding, in order to take a foreigner into detention, when he/she did not apply for asylum and the Dublin III Regulation might apply. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Ireland Flag Ireland 2022 Policy Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Immigration detention facilities became operational at Dublin airport. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Estonia Flag Estonia 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The Act on Granting International Protection to Aliens was amended to include the conditions and timeframes for detaining applicants in an emergency situation caused by mass arrivals. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2019 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Non-cooperation with authorities during the asylum application became a ground for detention. LT LEG 01 2019
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2021 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Amendments to the Law on Foreigners introduced provisions for a swift judicial review of detention. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Romania Flag Romania 2020 Policy Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The regulation on accommodation centres for foreigners taken into public custody was amended and a new chapter was added to regulate the General Inspectorate for Immigration's use of personal data. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2022 Policy Detention Detention during the asylum procedure As part of the Swedish Migration Agency policy to increase detention capacity, a new detention centre with 114 places was opened in Mölndal. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2019 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The law proposal to amend the Aliens Act (Vw) established a legal basis for border detention after rejection of an asylum application. NL LEG 04 2019
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2021 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens prolong detention for an additional 6 months (up to 1 year in total) and limits the freedom of movement to specific geographical areas. An asylum seeker may be detained or movement restricted to the place of accommodation if entering the territory illegally in the event of a war, an emergency or an emergency due to a mass influx of foreigners. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Germany Flag Germany 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure A draft law introduces the additional preparatory detention (Erg?nzende Vorbereitungshaft) for persons awaiting removal, if they pose a serious risk to others' lives or for significant interests of internal security. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The police director may issue a detention order upon the Asylum Service's prior notice. A judicial review is undertaken for the prolongation of the detention order but not for the initial order. The maximum initial detention period was extended from 45 days to 50 days and the total maximum detention period was extended from 3 months to 18 months. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Estonia Flag Estonia 2019 Policy Detention Detention during the asylum procedure A legal counsellor was assigned to the detention centre to ensure legal aid for detainees. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure 500 additional return detention places were created in regular prisons – in separated premises from inmates - temporarily until 2022, next to the existing 500 special return places. DE LEG 03 2019