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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
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The asylum services prioritised applications submitted in detention and at police stations. Due to an increase of the number of applicants from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and from other African countries, Cyprus examined these applications with priority. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The government took action toward increasing its reception capacity dedicated to unaccompanied children. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
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
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The registration of job seekers among asylum applicants and the renewal of their unemployment period moved online. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The list of safe countries of origin was updated, adding Armenia, Benin, Kenya, Kosovo, Moldova, Mongolia and Togo. 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
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Institutional Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The reorganisation of the Asylum Service was ongoing, including the asylum administration and the ministry. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants Amendments entered into force allowing the Head of the Asylum Office to issue a deportation or removal order jointly with a negative decision when deciding on an application for international protection. Both decisions, which are no longer separate administrative acts, can be challenged before the International Protection Administrative Court and the suspensive effect may be automatic. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The Law on the Establishment and Operation of the Administrative Court was amended introducing an automatic suspensive effect for an appeal against a return decision, deportation order and removal order. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Authorities started working on the development of an overall integrated national reception strategy. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Policy Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The Cypriot Council of Ministers approved the establishment of an inter-ministerial committee mandated to suggest specific responses and management measures to address the emergency resulting from increased migration flows; a management unit with operational facilities; and a contingency plan for the irregular arrival of third-country nationals by sea or through the Green Line. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Institutional Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Asylum Service established new sectors which are responsible for the reception of applicants for international protection. The implementation and operationalisation of a reception allocation bureau was planned in the First Reception Centre Pournara to collect statistics, follow in- and outflow, and gather information on residences of applicants who are leaving the centre. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Deputy Minister for Social Welfare, the Minister for Justice and the police signed a memorandum in Cyprus to strengthen cooperation for the referral and support to survivors of human trafficking. The national reception strategy also established assessments and referral mechanisms as core objectives. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection New orders were issued by the Ministry of Labour, allowing applicants to start working before a formal decision is made on the work permit application. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Applicants from a safe country of origin may be assigned to the Collective Reception and Accommodation Centre through an individual administrative act for an accelerated processing of their application. If they leave the centre, their material reception conditions may be reduced or, in exceptional and duly justified cases, withdrawn. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Croatia Flag Croatia 2021 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Amendments were drafted to the Act on International and Temporary Protection, with the aim of aligning national legislation with the recast Asylum Procedures Directive. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Croatia Flag Croatia 2021 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants AMIF funds have been allocated for the implementation of the project "Informatisation of work and work processes in the Detention Centre for Foreigners", which aims to establish an electronic database of accommodated foreigners and enable video calls and conversations to take place between foreigners and their diplomatic and consular missions in and outside of Croatia. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Croatia Flag Croatia 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Ministry of the Interior developed standard operating procedures to prevent and address sexual- and gender-based violence in reception centres, in cooperation with UNHCR, Médecins du Monde, the Red Cross and the Croatian Law Centre. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Croatia Flag Croatia 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Croatia 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
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2021 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Amendments to the Law on Foreigners provide for a temporary automatic suspensive effect of an appeal against an expulsion order based on national-security grounds, containing “substantiated allegations” of important risk of death or ill treatment in the destination country. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Bulgarian State Agency for Refugees monitored throughout 2021 the implementation of amendments from 2020 related to the representation of unaccompanied minors in the asylum procedure. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Bulgarian Ministry of Labour and Social Policy extended its refugee employment and training programme for 2021-2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
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
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure Safe zones for unaccompanied children needed to be restructured. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The State Agency for Refugees updated its standard operating procedures for preventing and responding to sexual- or gender-based violence within the asylum procedure and the new procedures were implemented in cooperation with UNHCR and the State Agency for Child Protection EUAA Asylum Report 2022