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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 Sort descending Type of development Thematic area Development Source
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2021 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection An amended law entered into force in June 2021 allowing beneficiaries of international protection to apply for family reunification with facilitated conditions for 6 months from being granted the status. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2021 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Amendments to the International Protection Act (IPA) now allow the competent authority to decide on the admissibility of an application at the border or in a transit area if a person expresses an intention to apply for international protection. The time limit for a decision in the border procedure was extended from 2 weeks to 3 weeks. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Sweden Flag Sweden 2021 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs A list of safe countries of origin was adopted, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile, Georgia, Kosovo, Mongolia, Northern Macedonia and Serbia. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
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
Belgium Flag Belgium 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Reception capacity was significantly increased throughout 2021, reaching 30,000 places in February 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The asylum services prioritised applications submitted in detention and at police stations. Due to an increase of the number of applicants from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and from other African countries, Cyprus examined these applications with priority. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Finland Flag Finland 2021 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions The refugee quota was increased by about 500 refugees, with a total of 1,500 persons to be transferred in 2022, due to the deterioration of the security situation in Afghanistan. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Germany Flag Germany 2021 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services The coalition agreement set out to closely monitor the use of interpreters for LGBTIQ applicants for international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Ireland Flag Ireland 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Immigration Service launched a new website in July 2021 and published a new Digitisation Strategy to transition from paper-based processes to more efficient immigration services. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Italy Flag Italy 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Ministry of the Interior issued a decree modifying previous tender specifications by increasing the per capita amount awarded to managing organisations of reception facilities in order to cover psychological support, social and local guidance, and language courses. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Latvia Flag Latvia 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The government adopted in February 2021 a general policy planning document entitled “Guidelines for the Development of a Cohesive and Civically Active Society for 2021-2027”, followed by an action plan, outlining activities also for the integration of foreigners. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Malta Flag Malta 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The International Protection Agency initiated a process to digitise all physical case files and transition towards an electronic filing system. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A decision and departure moratorium was issued for Afghan nationals and ethnic Tigrayans from Ethiopia. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The return of unaccompanied minors was suspended until an examination determines if they would receive adequate reception and care in the country of origin. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Romania Flag Romania 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The new National Strategy on Immigration for 2021-2024 was launched in Romania, including special objectives on integration. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Spain Flag Spain 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The National Strategic Plan against Human Trafficking for 2021-2023 was adopted. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Federal Council sought to renew the Central Information System on Migration (SYMIC) and develop new functionalities. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2021 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Amendments to the Law on Foreigners provide for a temporary automatic suspensive effect of an appeal against an expulsion order based on national-security grounds, containing “substantiated allegations” of important risk of death or ill treatment in the destination country. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Finland Flag Finland 2021 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The Smart Border package was submitted to the parliament, bringing new technological means of processing at the border, concerning specifically the Aliens Act and other relevant legislative provisions. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Law No 4825/2021 adjusted some of the provisions related to the delivery of travel documents to beneficiaries of international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2021 Legislative Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation Amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens clarified the scope of free legal assistance as covering solely asylum procedures at the national level and thus excluding cases submitted before European courts. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2021 Legislative Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation A draft amendment to the Asylum Act and other related acts was adopted and put to public consultation, listing services available to asylum applicants. The amendments are expected to enter into force in June 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Spain Flag Spain 2021 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure A Royal Decree was introduced to facilitate the process of granting residence and work permits for unaccompanied children in Spain. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Finland Flag Finland 2021 Institutional The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The entire staff of the Dublin unit changed and new colleagues received extensive training throughout the year. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Belgium Flag Belgium 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A new feature of the online web application, Match-IT, was rolled out to document social aspects of an applicant. EUAA Asylum Report 2022