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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 Sort descending Development Source
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The Administrative Division of the Council of State now uses a new, sixth form of motivation of its decisions. When the court rejects an application, it uses one of the template sentences to provide more context for the ground of the refusal. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The composition of the Administrative Court of International Protection was amended, and the number of judges increased first from 3 to 5, then from 5 to 10. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2019 Policy Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The Swedish Migration Agency launched a portal allowing legal counsellors to submit appeals against first instance decisions electronically. Another pilot continued, in cooperation with the Swedish National Courts Administration, to digitally transfer appeals between the agency and the courts. EASO Asylum Report 2020
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
Malta Flag Malta 2022 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Amendments to the International Protection Act enables an appeal against a decision by the International Protection Agency which terminates refugee or subsidiary protection, except in cases where the beneficiary has renounced protection or become a Maltese national. The competence of the International Protection Appeals Tribunal now covers an ex nunc examination of the appeal. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The House of Representatives adopted an amendment to the Constitution, allowing for an exception from the general 75-day time limit for an appeal against a negative decision of the Asylum Service before the Administrative Court. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2019 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The new law provides new time limits to submit appeals, schedule hearings on appeal depending on the day of the submission of an appeal, and issue appeals decisions. It provides for the suspensive effect of appeals for deportation, readmission and return procedures. EL LEG 05 2019
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
Belgium Flag Belgium 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Belgium adopted an exceptional regulation which temporarily allowed an additional procedural document to be submitted when the appeal was restricted to a written procedure. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Estonia Flag Estonia 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance An amendment clarified that the appeal against the rejection and return decision has a suspensive effect. EASO Asylum Report 2021
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
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The procedure for a decision on the suspensive effect of an appeal in the second instance has to be taken by the court in a collegial decision. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The Swedish Migration Court of Appeal introduced an e-service to facilitate the submission of documents to the court by state administrative authorities. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Belgium Flag Belgium 2021 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The Belgian CALL announced that from March 2022 procedural documents can be submitted online. Documents can be sent electronically via J-box, an alternative to traditional registered mail, and for an appeal in a special procedure, this option replaced the traditional submission by fax. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2021 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens changed second instance procedures for decisions pronounced in an accelerated procedure. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
France Flag France 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The National Court of Asylum (CNDA) signed an agreement with the bar association on the implementation of video hearings. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Ireland Flag Ireland 2022 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The International Protection Act was amended to provide for the prioritisation of applications from safe countries of origin and the acceleration of appeal proceedings before the International Protection Appeals Tribunal. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Denmark Flag Denmark 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The Refugee Board suspended appeals when the situation in Afghanistan was critical but continued to address other aspects, such as age assessments and Dublin transfers. The processing of cases was resumed in December 2021. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2020 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection 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
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2022 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Asylum Act was amended and codified the practice that applicants can stay outside of the reception facility for 3 months, with the possibility of extending this period without losing the right to material reception conditions. The act also regulates the initial integration of beneficiaries of international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A new law outlined the development of information systems in reception structures and clarified the end of material reception conditions for recognised beneficiaries of international protection. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2022 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Reception capacity decreased and the ESTIA programme was completed and discontinued. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2020 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A Ministerial Decision defined the provision of material reception conditions in cash. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Finland Flag Finland 2020 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A temporary amendment was passed to the Aliens Act to extend the period of an applicant's right to work. Applicants were temporarily able to work in agriculture, forestry, horticulture and fisheries without a waiting period and they could continue to work in these sectors longer, until they are in the country and receive material reception conditions, despite an enforceable removal decision. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Croatia Flag Croatia 2019 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The AMIF-funded project Psychosocial services and support for international protection applicants was signed with the Croatian Red Cross. EASO Asylum Report 2020