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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 Sort descending Thematic area Development Source
Greece Flag Greece 2019 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The new law requires beneficiaries of international protection to leave the reception facility two months from recognition instead of the previously-applicable six months, at which point social welfare support would also cease. EL LEG 05 2019
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2019 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance No separate justification in the Migration Department’s decision is required when extending the period for examination of an application (up to six months). LT LEG 01 2019
Croatia Flag Croatia 2019 Legislative Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions A new decision was issued on the resettlement of third country nationals and stateless persons. HR LEG 02 2019
Finland Flag Finland 2019 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Based on CJEU Case C-550/16, the Aliens Act was amended and applicants reaching the age of 18 during the asylum procedure are considered to be minors for the purposes of family reunification. FI LEG 01 2019
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The local Youth Welfare Office in charge of the initial screening of an unaccompanied minor is now obliged to ensure that the minor is identified and the data are transmitted to the Central Register of Foreigners, (AZR, Ausländerzentralregister). DE LEG 01 2019
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
Finland Flag Finland 2021 Legislative Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation People with a legal training but who are not qualified as public legal counsellors can no longer be assigned as legal assistants to third-country nationals in international protection procedures. Pay differences for legal assistants working on international protection cases were eliminated. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Ireland Flag Ireland 2021 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Minister for Transport intended to introduce an amendment to the Road Traffic and Roads Bill to put the government’s policy on a statutory basis and allow asylum applicants to apply for a driving license. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2021 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants Amendments were introduced to the amended Immigration Law of 2008 to ensure a more effective management of the removal of third-country nationals who are illegally residing in Luxembourg. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2021 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The time limit to lodge an appeal before the Administrative Court against a decision issued in the accelerated procedure was reduced from 8 days to 3 days. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Sweden Flag Sweden 2021 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Swedish government established an inquiry on an orderly initial reception of asylum seekers. The inquiry is tasked to propose measures to ensure that asylum seekers choose to live in the Swedish Migration Agency's accommodation throughout the asylum period, propose how a statutory obligation to participate in social introduction can be formulated, consider the scope of persons covered under the Law on Reception of Asylum Seekers and Others, and review the scope of benefits covered by this act. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Belgium Flag Belgium 2022 Legislative Statelessness in the context of asylum Statelessness in the context of asylum The government pledged to introduce a new legal status for stateless persons which would give them the right to legally reside in Belgium if they cannot return to their country of habitual residence. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Finland Flag Finland 2022 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The Border Guard Act was amended to allow the authorities to centralise the reception of applicants at the border during an exceptionally high number of arrivals. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The time limit for announcing the exact date of the forced removal is shortened from 48 hours to 36 hours (Article A3/6). The announcement can be omitted if there is a risk that the prior announcement would endanger the safety or health of the person or the family members. If the departure cannot take place, a new option is sought, and if the removal can take place within 2 days from the original date, a new prior notice is not necessary. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2022 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure A new registration procedure was introduced for first-time applicants through Circular 5049/2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications The Swedish Migration Agency proposed 8 countries to be considered safe countries of origin: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile, Kosovo, Mongolia, Northern Macedonia, Serbia and USA. The new list is foreseen to enter into force on 1 May 2021. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2022 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Italy revised its list of safe countries of origin, de facto suspending Ukraine. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Malta Flag Malta 2022 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The International Protection Act was amended to clarify the criteria for exclusion from subsidiary protection, the criteria for considering an application manifestly unfounded, the subsequent application procedure, the application procedure for children in need of care and the procedure for temporary humanitarian protection (a national form of protection). EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The grounds for detention were extended: i) when there is a condition for which the rejection of refugee status (for reasons of national security or public order) and exclusion from subsidiary protection status is foreseen and ii) when a subsequent application is issued during the execution of a removal order. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Portugal Flag Portugal 2022 Legislative Statelessness in the context of asylum Statelessness in the context of asylum The revised Nationality Regulation entered into force, which facilitates acquiring citizenship for children born in Portugal to applicants or beneficiaries of international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications The decision on which procedure the applicant follows must be made within 2 working days and no sperate decision is issued on this, but the case officer communicates this during the interview. The decision on admissibility is issued within 3 working days from the registration of the application. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Spain Flag Spain 2022 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Spanish Ministry of Justice approved a preliminary draft of a new law on age assessments. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Malta Flag Malta 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia were added to the list of safe countries of origin. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications Bangladesh and Pakistan were added to the list of safe countries of origin. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Interpretation services Interpretation services A Ministerial Decision specified that interpretation services must be provided free of charge by the Asylum Services during meetings between an applicant and a lawyer, and these meetings should not exceed 2 hours in total. EASO Asylum Report 2021