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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
Hungary Flag Hungary 2019 Institutional Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Reception Facilities Supervisory Unit became responsible for operating and managing reception facilities. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The possibility was extended to place a foreigner in custody to secure removal (Sicherungshaft), with the objective to prevent absconding. DE LEG 03 2019
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The act clarified that this rule also applies to unaccompanied minors who reach the age of majority. DE LEG 05 2019
Hungary Flag Hungary 2019 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Hungarian Government extended the time limit of Government Decree 41/2016 (III. 9.) stating that there was a continued state of crisis caused by mass migration. HU LEG 02 2019
Austria Flag Austria 2019 Legislative Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The federal government and the provinces concluded an agreement to harmonise the child and youth welfare system in general, defining the responsibilities of the provinces in providing care and support to unaccompanied minors. AT LEG 01 2019
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Applicants for international protection may have access to the labour market in an extended number of occupations. CY LEG 02 2019
France Flag France 2019 Legislative Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups A new database (AEM, Appui à l’évaluation de minorité) was created, providing support from central state authorities to the départements in carrying out age assessments. FR LEG 04 2019
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A new type of beneficiary group was established, referring to applicants in reception centres who are presumed to form a community with synergies in benefits, hence these applicants are now entitled to a lower level of benefits. DE LEG 02 2019
Malta Flag Malta 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The AWAS established the Therapeutic Services Unit (TSU) for migrants suffering from psychological disorders due to trauma, with a special team dedicated to children and unaccompanied minors. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Sweden Flag Sweden 2019 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Swedish Migration Agency updated its legal position on Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq and Somalia, published a legal comment on Nicaragua and on the increased violence in Afghanistan during summer 2019, and temporarily stopped decisions in cases involving applicants from the Hasskah province of Syria based on its new situational analysis. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Sweden Flag Sweden 2019 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The “Asylum360” pilot project of 2018 was extended to more regions, combining the accommodation of asylum seekers and the examination of their applications into one continuous process to handle as many cases as possible without interruptions. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Croatia Flag Croatia 2019 Policy Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The project “Monitoring the conduct of the Ministry of the Interior police officers in the area of irregular migration and asylum” was launched to monitor that the rights of irregular migrants and potential applicants for international protection were consistently protected. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Finland Flag Finland 2019 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The position of crisis and family counsellor was introduced in reception centres. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Czech Flag Czech Republic 2019 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Ministry of the Interior joined the Videoconferences for Identification (VCI) project. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Croatia Flag Croatia 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection Coordinators were appointed to social welfare centres and branch offices to provide support in accessing social welfare and, more broadly, in fostering inclusion in the local community. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services BAMF launched a new software to administer interpretation services. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2019 Legislative Interpretation services Interpretation services Luxembourg increased its translation and interpretation budget by about EUR 180 000. LU LEG 01 2019
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2019 Legislative Statelessness in the context of asylum Statelessness in the context of asylum The Act on Census of Population and Housing 2021 was adopted, which provides for information collection, not only on Slovak citizens, but also on other EU nationals, third country nationals and stateless persons. SK LEG 01 2019
Greece Flag Greece 2019 Institutional Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Ministry on Migration and Asylum was re-created, after merging with the Ministry of Citizen Protection in July 2019. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Croatia Flag Croatia 2019 Policy Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation The AMIF project, “Providing legal advice in the process of granting international protection”, was implemented as of 1 April 2019. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The unemployment benefit may be paid during the period of the integration course or the employment-related language course, when the federal employment agency considers participation in such courses necessary for the sustainable labour market integration. DE LEG 04 2019
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