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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 Sort descending Year Type of development Thematic area Development Source
Norway Flag Norway 2022 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Amendments to the Immigration Act would allow authorities to expulse refugees, without first making a decision on the cessation of the status, when the person has been convicted and sentenced of a crime that is punishable by 2 or more years of prison. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Norway Flag Norway 2021 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection A new Integration Act entered into force in January 2021, putting more emphasis on training participants in the introduction programme (mostly refugees) on the skills required by Norwegian employers or needed to qualify for further education. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Norway Flag Norway 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection One-year-old children in reception centres were included in the financing scheme of free, full-time care in kindergarten. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Norway Flag Norway 2022 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Norway revised its list of safe countries of origin. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Norway Flag Norway 2022 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Norwegian government and the Directorate of Immigration (UDI) increased capacity in the national arrival centre, in emergency accommodation, including accommodation for displaced persons from Ukraine, and in ordinary reception centres. A scheme for alternative temporary reception space was also launched. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Norway Flag Norway 2020 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The Norwegian government passed a law which provides the possibility to increase the length of introduction programmes and training by 6 months due to the pandemic. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Norway Flag Norway 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The UDI announced a tender for a new supplier to train reception staff who lead dialogue groups on violence in reception centres. The dialogue groups are offered for men and boys over the age of 15, and the UDI was considering developing a similar scheme for women. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Norway Flag Norway 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The UDI introduced a new case management flow by which 70% of applicants receive a decision within 21 days of lodging an application, assisted by the Qlik Sense tool. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Norway Flag Norway 2019 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants A legislative proposal was introduced for a national legal basis for a forced return monitoring system, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Return Directive. NO LEG 03 2019
Norway Flag Norway 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The authorities in Norway launched the website, Asylbarn, dedicated specifically for children in the asylum procedure. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Norway Flag Norway 2021 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection An amendment to the Norwegian Social Services Act came into force which requires third-country nationals older than 30 years with insufficient Norwegian knowledge to participate in language training as a condition to receive financial support. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Norway Flag Norway 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Directorate for Integration and Diversity, in cooperation with municipalities, carried out for the first time a survey on the experiences of participants in the introduction programme. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Norway Flag Norway 2022 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection New regulations entered into force on determining the benefits for residents in asylum reception centres. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Norway Flag Norway 2022 Policy Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation The Ministry of Justice and Public Security clarified that when a third-country national who already holds a residence permit on other grounds in the country applies for international protection, free legal aid is not automatically granted but it is conditioned by a needs test. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Norway Flag Norway 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The MOT-system was introduced for reception administration, and it is planned to be further developed in 2021. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Portugal Flag Portugal 2022 Institutional Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Ministry of Home Affairs announced the creation of a new asylum and migration agency. In addition, the Immigration and Border Service (SEF) will be restructured. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
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
Portugal Flag Portugal 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The High Commission for Migration and the Institute for Housing and Urban Rehabilitation signed a cooperation protocol to provide adequate access to housing to migrant populations, including to beneficiaries of international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Portugal Flag Portugal 2020 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection A provisional regularisation process was launched in Portugal, settling the situation of around 365,000 foreigners, including asylum applicants. EASO Asylum Report 2021
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
Portugal Flag Portugal 2021 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions Around 200 refugees, who were evacuated from Afghanistan, were received as the government pledged to receive Afghan nationals on humanitarian admission grounds. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Portugal Flag Portugal 2022 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Asylum Act was amended to allow applicants for international protection to work from the day they submit their application and receive related support. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Portugal Flag Portugal 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Council of Ministers in Portugal adopted a resolution establishing a single system for the reception and integration of beneficiaries of international protection. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Portugal Flag Portugal 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Initiatives to increase reception capacity and open new centres continued. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Romania Flag Romania 2020 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions A new Emergency Transit Centre was opened in Timisoara providing temporary accommodation for beneficiaries of international protection waiting to be resettled to a third country. EASO Asylum Report 2021