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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 Sort descending Source
Spain Flag Spain 2022 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The government decided to increase the migration budged for 2022 by 29% with the allocation of additional funds aiming to improve reception conditions of applicants for international and temporary protection and migrants. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions The government decided to temporarily pause resettlement selections out of Turkey. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Sweden Flag Sweden 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The government increased funding for fast tracks, which were established to support entry into the job market for beneficiaries of international protection who have education, work or training experience. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The government increased the threshold of subsidies for municipalities from 80 % to 100 % of the rental prices announced by the Housing Observatory to encourage rentals for beneficiaries of international protection. Beneficiaries may also continue to live in reception facilities for a small fee. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Portugal Flag Portugal 2022 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The government launched a 2-year project to improve prevention, protection and support to victims of human trafficking. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2020 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Government Office for the Care and Integration of Migrants, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Labor, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, the Police, the Ministry of Justice, 11 participating NGOs and UNHCR signed the revised standard operational procedures for the prevention and action in cases of sexual and gender-based violence against persons treated under the provisions of the International Protection Act. EASO Asylum Report 2021
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
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2021 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions The government pledged to receive 90 Afghan nationals at risk, including girls, women, former judges and human rights activists during 2021 and 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Belgium Flag Belgium 2022 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions The government pledged to resettle 500 refugees and to admit 125 people under humanitarian admission programmes. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
France Flag France 2019 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The government presented a comprehensive action plan on migration, including measures to reduce the processing time of asylum applications to an average of six months. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Finland Flag Finland 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Government Programme's proposal was under examination to eliminate the sufficient financial resources criteria for family reunifications initiated by minor beneficiaries of international protection. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The government proposed a bill creating the legal basis for enforced COVID-19 testing in the beginning of 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Sweden Flag Sweden 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The government provided funding to increase the length of civic orientation from 60 to 100 hours. EASO Asylum Report 2020
United Kingdom United Kingdom 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The government published its Integrated Communities Action Plan, which confirms the actions the government will take to deliver stronger, integrated communities. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Ireland Flag Ireland 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The government published the mid-term review of the Migrant Integration Strategy 2017-2020. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Finland Flag Finland 2022 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The government put a legislative proposal to consultation on the comprehensive reform of integration. The new system would increase the responsibility of municipalities in the integration process. The programme would include an exam in the Finnish or Swedish language. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Finland Flag Finland 2022 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The government submitted a legislative proposal to the parliament to introduce a border procedure that could be triggered by a government decision if an exceptionally large number of migrants arrive in a short period of time or if hybrid activities aiming to exploit migration were directed against Finland. However, the parliament did not manage to consider the proposal by the end of the electoral term (29 March 2023) and it was allowed to lapse. The next government will decide if the changes are proposed again. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Sweden Flag Sweden 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The government tasked the Swedish Council for Higher Education to develop and pilot special measures for: a) skills validation and the recognition of qualifications when documentary evidence is missing and b) when the educational level is documented but the level was not completed. The Council also worked on a permanent structure for the recognition and accreditation of prior learning. EASO Asylum Report 2020
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
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Policy Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation The Greek Asylum Service launched a call to extend the Register of Lawyers providing legal aid to applicants for international protection EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Greek Asylum Service launched the procedure to register rapporteurs in the special register in the regions of Samos, Lesvos and Chios. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Institutional Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum was reorganised and some services were centralised, and corresponding offices and staff from the Reception and Identification Service (RIS) were transferred to the ministry. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
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
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
Belgium Flag Belgium 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The Guardianship Service continued with an AMIF-funded project to develop a methodology for monitoring guardians and the assessment of the best interests of minors and worked on improving communications with all stakeholders. EASO Asylum Report 2020