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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 Development Source
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2021 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Amendments to the International Protection Act (IPA) now allow the competent authority to decide on the admissibility of an application at the border or in a transit area if a person expresses an intention to apply for international protection. The time limit for a decision in the border procedure was extended from 2 weeks to 3 weeks. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2021 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure Amendments to the International Protection Act (IPA) included that vulnerable persons with special needs related to physical or mental health are prioritised in the border procedure, while they are provided with adequate assistance. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2021 Legislative Information provision on the asylum procedure Information provision on the asylum procedure Information on the consequences of arbitrarily leaving the asylum centre’s admission facility is now provided by the police during preliminary proceedings. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Migration Office updated its internal instrument used for the identification of special needs and vulnerabilities, by finetuning the procedures for completing an applicant’s social file and by strengthening cooperation among the various actors involved. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2021 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection A draft amendment to the Asylum Act and other related acts was adopted and put to public consultation, defining and regulating the initial integration of beneficiaries of international protection. The amendments are expected to enter into force in June 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure A resolution was adopted to outline the national action plans for combating trafficking in human beings, according to the 2020 recommendations from GRETA. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection A new strategic document on migration policy was adopted, underlining the strengthened need for local level integration of beneficiaries of international protection, including high-quality education for children and the continued offer of Slovak language classes. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2021 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants A new strategic document on migration policy was adopted, with an emphasis on voluntary returns rather than forced returns. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2021 Legislative Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation A draft amendment to the Asylum Act and other related acts was adopted and put to public consultation, listing services available to asylum applicants. The amendments are expected to enter into force in June 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
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
Romania Flag Romania 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The new National Strategy on Immigration 2021-2024 was approved, together with the Action Plan to implement the national strategy, with objectives related to making the national asylum system more efficient. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Romania Flag Romania 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Romania introduced specific policies for the vaccination of asylum applicants, specifying that vaccines are free of charge, on a voluntary basis and by registration to receive an appointment. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Romania Flag Romania 2021 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Law No 114/2021 was adopted to digitalise the second instance procedure and allow for remote hearings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Romania Flag Romania 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The new National Strategy on Immigration for 2021-2024 was launched in Romania, including special objectives on integration. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Romania Flag Romania 2021 Policy Access to procedure icon Access to procedure A card document for asylum seekers was introduced, intended to prevent the circulation of forged documents. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Portugal Flag Portugal 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The High Commission for Migration and the Institute for Housing and Urban Rehabilitation signed a cooperation protocol to provide adequate access to housing to migrant populations, including to beneficiaries of international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Portugal Flag Portugal 2021 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions Around 200 refugees, who were evacuated from Afghanistan, were received as the government pledged to receive Afghan nationals on humanitarian admission grounds. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Portugal Flag Portugal 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Initiatives to increase reception capacity and open new centres continued. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Norway Flag Norway 2021 Policy Information provision on the asylum procedure Information provision on the asylum procedure The UDI launched a new website to inform applicants about the current situation in Afghanistan, some also providing a section on frequently asked questions. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
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
Norway Flag Norway 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The notification of negative decisions for Afghan applicants was suspended between July 2021 and January 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Norway Flag Norway 2021 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection A new Integration Act entered into force in January 2021, putting more emphasis on training participants in the introduction programme (mostly refugees) on the skills required by Norwegian employers or needed to qualify for further education. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Norway Flag Norway 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The UDI announced a tender for a new supplier to train reception staff who lead dialogue groups on violence in reception centres. The dialogue groups are offered for men and boys over the age of 15, and the UDI was considering developing a similar scheme for women. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Norway Flag Norway 2021 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection An amendment to the Norwegian Social Services Act came into force 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. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection An AMIF-funded project promoted sports, exercise and healthy lifestyle among residents. EUAA Asylum Report 2022