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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
Malta Flag Malta 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection Criteria for the Specific Residence Authorisation (SRA) policy was modified. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection Switzerland launched a pilot programme for the employment integration of refugees and persons with temporary admission and concluded subsidy contracts with 14 cantons. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Finland Flag Finland 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Finnish Immigration Service started to notify applicants, whenever possible, through phone or videoconferencing about the decision on their application. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The State Agency for Refugees reviewed internal guidelines and rules and prepared an analysis of national jurisprudence for internal use. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Estonia Flag Estonia 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance An updated version of the register of granting international protection (RAKS2) was launched, including new features that allow the inclusion of data on court procedures and an automated process for receiving country of origin information. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Germany Flag Germany 2022 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure BAMF reviewed and clarified its internal instructions regarding procedures involving LGBTIQ applicants. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Ireland Flag Ireland 2022 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence identified migrants, undocumented migrants, refugees and international protection applicants as requiring additional inclusion measures to address domestic sexual and gender-based violence. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The recruitment of staff for the authorities in the migration chain continued throughout 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Netherlands Forensic Institute changed its practice based on a recent literature review, and since October 2022, applicants with a mature collarbone are considered to be at least 18 years old, instead of 20 years. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Spain Flag Spain 2022 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration signed a memorandum with the Spanish Olympic Committee to promote sports in the reception system. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Malta Flag Malta 2019 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Office of the Refugee Commissioner started implementing changes to reporting on case allocation and backlog. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Sweden Flag Sweden 2022 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The legal position was updated on a child’s age assessment for family reunification with recent CJEU case law. 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
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
Croatia Flag Croatia 2019 Policy Access to information Access to information The Office for Human Rights and Rights of National Minorities updated its “Guide for Integration – Basic Information for the Integration of Foreigners into Croatian Society”. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Finland Flag Finland 2019 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The AMIF-funded PSYYKE project was launched to train reception staff on mental health work and draft a mental health work manual for the reception system. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Finland Flag Finland 2019 Policy Access to information Access to information The website, Asylum in Finland, maintained by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, was improved. New information leaflets and videos with simple terminology were developed for applicants in the framework of the AMIF-funded ONE project. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2019 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Asylum Service was reinforced with additional staff in order to manage the increasing pressures on the asylum and reception systems. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance BAMF implemented the XAVIA project to ensure that all information related to asylum cases is shared electronically among public authorities. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Belgium Flag Belgium 2021 Policy Information provision on the asylum procedure Information provision on the asylum procedure The CGRS launched a new website to inform applicants on the asylum procedure and their rights and obligations within the procedure. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Authorities started working on the development of an overall integrated national reception strategy. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Finland Flag Finland 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Finnish Immigration Service initiated a new practice which allows applicant children younger than 12 years old to be heard more frequently, ensuring that the bests interests of the child are taken into account effectively and systematically in the asylum procedure. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
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
Germany Flag Germany 2021 Policy Statelessness in the context of asylum Statelessness in the context of asylum The coalition agreement foresees to expand both the access to and the scope of residence permits for all undocumented people living in the country, including stateless individuals. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Swedish Migration Agency provided clarification on the application of the economic requirement for family reunification, explaining in which cases beneficiaries of international protection and children are exempted from these rules. EASO Asylum Report 2021