|
Austria |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
The length of the obligatory orientation course for beneficiaries of international protection was extended from 8 to 24 hours to include modules on gender equality, antisemitism and the importance of voluntary work. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Austria |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
In cooperation with UNHCR and the IOM, the Austrian Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum (BFA) organised regularly training sessions for its staff on identifying special needs and vulnerabilities, interviewing applicants with special needs, and tailoring approaches to specific groups, such as women, children, LGBTIQ applicants and survivors of trafficking in the asylum procedure. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Austria |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
The Austrian Federal Ministry of Justice established a Commission on the Best Interests of the Child in February 2021, tasked to review the legal framework and practices related to children in the asylum procedure. The Federal Ministry of the Interior conducted an internal review as well, concluding that many of the recommendations were already being applied or were on the way to implementation, and suggesting new measures. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Poland |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
A draft amendment was submitted to the Social Assistance Act, which aims to grant the right to individual integration programmes for beneficiaries of international protection married to Polish citizens (amendment accepted on 15 April 2021). |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Poland |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Content of protection |
The Polish government announced the introduction of a humanitarian visa scheme for Belarusians from mid-August 2020 onwards. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Poland |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
Humanitarian visa holders are permitted to work without a work permit since 1 December 2020. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Switzerland |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
An amendment to the Asylum Act entered into force, which describes the modalities and limits of video surveillance in federal reception centres. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Switzerland |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The State Secretariat for Migration assessed the functioning of the asylum system during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Switzerland |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
The possibility to impose a travel ban is planned to be extended to persons with temporary admission. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Switzerland |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Content of protection |
The State Secretariat for Migration and cantonal authorities signed amendments to the convention on cantonal integration programmes for the implementation of the Swiss Integration Agenda, which includes more funds for cantons to carry out their plans. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Switzerland |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Detention during the asylum procedure |
An amendment clarified that minors cannot be held in detention for the purposes of return. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Switzerland |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
An amendment to Ordinance 1 on asylum settles the implementation rules for video surveillance in federal reception centres. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Switzerland |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance |
The Federal Administrative Court published its report on the evaluation of the asylum appeals procedure after the reform of the asylum procedure entered into force in 2019. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Switzerland |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
A draft amendment would allow persons with temporary admission to change their assigned canton if they follow a long-term vocational training or are employed in another canton |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Switzerland |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Content of protection |
The Federal Council adopted its opinion on a report by the Political Institutions Committee of the Council of States concerning a parliamentary initiative on granting the same family reunification regimes to beneficiaries of international protection and persons with temporary admission. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Switzerland |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
An amendment from 2018 to the Asylum Act entered into force on 1 April 2020, which enables the State Secretariat for Migration to pronounce a general travel ban for a group of refugees from a certain country of origin (particularly to neighbouring countries of that country of origin), if there is a well-founded doubt that the travel ban to the country of origin is not respected. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Switzerland |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
A draft amendment would explicitly include that applicants are under a general travel ban and they could only travel if this is necessary for the asylum procedure or for their removal. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Switzerland |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Access to procedure |
A draft amendment to the Asylum Act would allow the State Secretariat for Migration to access and analyse data from applicants' mobile phones, in order to verify their identity, with full respect of the principle of necessity and proportionality, and in compliance with the right to respect for private and family life. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Switzerland |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Return of former applicants |
An amendment to the ordinance on implementation of return and expulsion of foreigners settles access rights, data security and data retention of the new information system, eRetour. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Switzerland |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The State Secretariat for Migration presented the results of the first evaluation of the law that reformed the asylum procedure in 2019. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Switzerland |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
An amendment to the ordinance on delivering travel documents for foreigners clarified when refugees under a travel ban can still receive an exceptional authorisation to travel to a country falling under that travel ban. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Switzerland |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
An amendment to Ordinance 2 on asylum settled the funding of security costs of federal reception centres when they are temporarily closed. The confederation pays a lump sum for a year, even when the centre is closed. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Sweden |
2020 |
Policy |
|
The Dublin procedure |
The Swedish Migration Agency published a legal position on the applicability of the Dublin III Regulation vis-a-vis the United Kingdom after 31 December 2020. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Sweden |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Content of protection |
Legal position on residence permit for studies at upper secondary level. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Sweden |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
A new governmental project is planned to be implemented in Sweden in 2021, obliging applicants to attend a one-day information session about the host society. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |