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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
Norway Flag Norway 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The MOT-system was introduced for reception administration, and it is planned to be further developed in 2021. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Norway Flag Norway 2020 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The Norwegian parliament passed a bill amending the Social Services Act, 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. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Norway Flag Norway 2020 Policy Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The arrival centre was re-organised in Norway to include multiply stakeholders within the same centre. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Norway Flag Norway 2020 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Persons granted protection in Norway may obtain a long-term residence permit after 5 years, instead of the previous 3 years, following legislative amendments that entered into force in December 2020. The language knowledge requirement for naturalisation was increased from A2 to B1 level. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Norway Flag Norway 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Directorate for Integration and Diversit published a report on municipality expenditure on supporting the integration of refugees. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Norway Flag Norway 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The UDI provided special guidelines to all reception centres on preparing for school education. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Norway Flag Norway 2020 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure According to the amended Immigration Regulations, the UDI and UNE are given access to obtain necessary information from the child welfare service for the purpose of case processing. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Norway Flag Norway 2020 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants As of March 2020, standard support assistance may be increased in order to ease the return and reintegration process, for example for returnees with special medical needs or if it is assessed to be more cost-effective for Norwegian society. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Norway Flag Norway 2020 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The new Integration Act was adopted in Norway and entered into force in January 2021. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Norway Flag Norway 2020 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure An internal review of 54 return cases from 2019 took place in the Immigration Appeals Board (UNE) in order to examine how UNE assesses what is in the best interests of the child in return cases. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Norway Flag Norway 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection One-year-old children in reception centres were included in the financing scheme of free, full-time care in kindergarten. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications The IND published its updated work instructions on the border procedure. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications The State Secretary for Justice and Security presented the revised list of safe countries of origin. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The temporary law suspending the incremental penalty payments was passed and applicants are no longer entitled to compensation when the IND does not decide on their case within 6 months. The law will be in force for a year. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Council for Child Protection (Raad voor Kinderbescherming, RvdK), the IND and the DT&V set up a permanent partnership under the name Cooperation for Children in Foreigners' Policy (Samenwerkingsverband Kinderen in het Vreemdelingenbeleid, SKIV). EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions A new multiannual resettlement policy framework for 2020-2023 was established in the Netherlands, including a commitment to resettling 2,000 refugees in 4 years. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The IND published new work instructions on further investigation in family reunification procedures, including DNA testing in the asylum procedure. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Access to procedure icon Access to procedure In the framework of the Flexibility of the Asylum Chain Programme, tweaks started to be introduced to the identification and registration process, including the launching of the control board (regietafel), setting up a front portal (voorportal) in Ter Apel and introducing the use of a common file structure available for all stakeholders of the asylum chain. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Further clarifications were provided for the assessment of family reunification for beneficiaries of international protection. For example, the fact that the family members were not named during the asylum procedure is not in itself a ground to reject family reunification, but it can be taken into account when assessing the actual family link. For foster children, the biological parents' identity and the foster parent's family link to the biological parents always need to be clarified. When the biological parents are still present, the link between a foster child and foster parents can only be recognised for family reunification under very exceptional circumstances. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services The IND published updated work instructions on working together with an interpreter. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The grounds were extended for placing an unaccompanied minor in detention for the purpose of return. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The COA published its new multiannual strategy, which defines its measurable targets for the next 5 years. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance When assessing the recast Qualification Directive, Article 15(c) criteria on whether there is serious and individual threat to a civilian's life or person by reason of indiscriminate violence in situations of international or internal armed conflict, the IND needs to take into account whether there is a basic security structure present in the country of origin or in a specific area of the country. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A special task force was created in March 2020 to deal with the backlog of more than 15,000 asylum applications. It handled 8,200 by the end of 2020 and was foreseen to continue its work until mid-2021. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Following up on the initiative from the State Secretary for Justice and Security, the COA started to accommodate at a separate location in Budel applicants from safe countries of origin and those who have already obtained international protection in another Member State. Applicants receive only basic material reception conditions in kind and stricter reporting obligation applies to them, as they need to report daily and in addition, every time they leave or come back. The location has extra security personnel. Vulnerable applicants cannot be accommodated here. EASO Asylum Report 2021