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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
Ireland Flag Ireland 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The Chairperson of the International Protection Appeals Tribunal issued a new Guideline on Taking Evidence from Appellants and Other Witnesses. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Ireland Flag Ireland 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The prioritisation procedure was updated, which re-confirmed that asylum interviews for unaccompanied minor applicants can be scheduled with priority. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Ireland Flag Ireland 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection A regularisation scheme was launched with a strand for undocumented migrants and another for applicants for international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Ireland Flag Ireland 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The waiting period to apply for a work permit for applicants for international protection was reduced from 9 months to 6 months, with an extended validity from 6 months to 12 months. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Ireland Flag Ireland 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Immigration Service launched a new website in July 2021 and published a new Digitisation Strategy to transition from paper-based processes to more efficient immigration services. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Iceland Flag Iceland 2021 Policy Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Ukraine was removed from the list of safe countries (decision published in February 2022). EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Iceland Flag Iceland 2021 Institutional Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance According to a new decree, the Ministry of Social Affairs would be mandated to provide reception conditions to applicants and integration services to beneficiaries of international protection, while the Directorate of Immigration (operating under the Ministry of Justice) continues to be responsible for the examination of applications for international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Iceland Flag Iceland 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection Family reunification requests from Afghan residents were treated with priority in 2021. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Iceland Flag Iceland 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Venezuelan applicants are no longer automatically granted subsidiary protection due to the general circumstances in the home country. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Iceland Flag Iceland 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Directorate of Immigration was developing new standard operating procedures for applicants with disabilities and mental health issues. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Iceland Flag Iceland 2021 Policy Information provision on the asylum procedure Information provision on the asylum procedure A new information hub was launched, newiniceland.is, which provides information in eight languages through online counsellors and telephone interpretation in additional languages. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Iceland Flag Iceland 2021 Policy Statelessness in the context of asylum Statelessness in the context of asylum The country acceded to the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, and the Directorate of Immigration adopted a Standard Operation Procedure, developed in cooperation with UNHCR. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Hungary Flag Hungary 2021 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The special conditions to submit an asylum application which were introduced by the Hungarian government in May 2020 were extended until 31 December 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The implementation of Article 90(3) and (5) of Law No 4636/2019 on the exceptional border procedure that applies to third-country nationals in Reception and Identification Centres in Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Leros and Kos was extended until 31 December 2021. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The payment of financial assistance requires a certification of the applicant’s physical presence in a reception facility since 1 July 2021. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Ministry of Migration and Asylum took over the cash assistance component of the ESTIA programme from UNHCR. The transition entailed policy changes in the entitlements. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants Amendments introduced that all decisions rejecting requests for international protection should include a return provision. If another return or deportation order is already in force, it must be incorporated in the decision rejecting the application and ordering the return. The period of voluntary departure was shortened to 25 days, which may be extended up to 120 days. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Law No 4825/2021 amended the grounds for revoking or refusing to renew refugee status and clarified the steps of this procedure. The amendments also underline the authority’s responsibility to provide an individualised reasoning for the decision to revoke the status or to refuse to renew it. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Bangladesh and Pakistan were designated as safe countries of origin. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Policy Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Closed Controlled Access Centres (CCACs) were established at the borders with special detention facilities. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Reception and Identification Centres (RICs/K.Y.T.) and Closed Controlled Access Centres (CCAC/ΚΕΔ) were established and operated on the islands. The Reception and Identification Service took several measures to strengthen safeguards and improve conditions within these facilities. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants Greece ratified the EU-Serbia Readmission Agreement and the EU-Montenegro Readmission Agreement. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Law No 4815/2021 made minor adjustments to the provisions on the residence permit of beneficiaries of international protection and their family members in Greece. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Turkey was designated a safe third country for applicants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Somalia and Syria. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Ministry for Migration and Asylum established a National Mechanism for the Detection and Protection of Unaccompanied Children, in cooperation with the IOM, Aris, METAdrasi and the Network for Children’s Rights. EUAA Asylum Report 2022