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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 ascending Thematic area Development Source
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Law No 4825/2021 amended the provisions related to the Greek health care number (PAAYPA) to clarify some of the administrative issues related to the number’s issuance. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Law No 4825/2021 amended the grounds for revoking or refusing to renew refugee status and clarified the steps of this procedure. The amendments also underline the authority’s responsibility to provide an individualised reasoning for the decision to revoke the status or to refuse to renew it. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Law No 4815/2021 made minor adjustments to the provisions on the residence permit of beneficiaries of international protection and their family members in Greece. 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
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants Amendments introduced that all decisions rejecting requests for international protection should include a return provision. If another return or deportation order is already in force, it must be incorporated in the decision rejecting the application and ordering the return. The period of voluntary departure was shortened to 25 days, which may be extended up to 120 days. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants Greece ratified the EU-Serbia Readmission Agreement and the EU-Montenegro Readmission Agreement. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Hungary Flag Hungary 2021 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The special conditions to submit an asylum application which were introduced by the Hungarian government in May 2020 were extended until 31 December 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Ireland Flag Ireland 2021 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Minister for Transport intended to introduce an amendment to the Road Traffic and Roads Bill to put the government’s policy on a statutory basis and allow asylum applicants to apply for a driving license. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Ireland Flag Ireland 2021 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants An amendment to the International Protection Act 2015, Section 48(3) to extend the 5-day period for a voluntary return to 30 days has been finalised for inclusion in the General Scheme of the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022, a government priority bill. This change was implemented in line with recommendations of the Advisory Group on the Provision of Support including Accommodation to Persons in the International Protection Process. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Italy Flag Italy 2021 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Decree Law No 139 provided for the creation of 3,000 new places for families in the System for Reception and Integration (SAI). EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Latvia Flag Latvia 2021 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Latvia reduced the waiting period for applicants to legally work from 6 months to 3 months. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Latvia Flag Latvia 2021 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Asylum Law and several corresponding laws were amended related to documents certifying an applicant’s status. These modifications aim to facilitate an applicant’s access to health care, education and employment. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Latvia Flag Latvia 2021 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants Latvia ratified the readmission agreement with Armenia in October 2021. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2021 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure Authorities declared a state of emergency applicable to the entire border section with Belarus and 5 kilometres from it. Measures included the substantial closure of the border, limited access to emergency areas to permit holders, and limited access by foreigners. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2021 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The Law on the Legal Status of Aliens was amended, establishing at the end of a 6-month border procedure, the Migration Department and the State Border Guard Service will decide on the accommodation and restriction of freedom of movement based on the individual situation of each person and the possibility to refuse the lodging of an asylum application in exceptional situations. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2021 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens changed second instance procedures for decisions pronounced in an accelerated procedure. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2021 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens stipulate that the right to work would be acquired 12 months after the date of registration in the Lithuanian Migration Information System (MIGRIS). EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2021 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens prolong detention for an additional 6 months (up to 1 year in total) and limits the freedom of movement to specific geographical areas. An asylum seeker may be detained or movement restricted to the place of accommodation if entering the territory illegally in the event of a war, an emergency or an emergency due to a mass influx of foreigners. 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 allow restrictions to be placed on contact between legal services providers and asylum applicants during a state of emergency. 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
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2021 Legislative Interpretation services Interpretation services Amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens stated that, in the event of a declaration of martial law, a state of emergency or an emergency due to a mass influx of foreigners, some rights provided to asylum applicants, including interpretation, may be temporarily and proportionally restricted. However, this article was repealed on 1 January 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2021 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure A modification to the Asylum Law came into force in July 2021. An appeal against a Dublin transfer decision means an automatic suspension of the transfer until the administrative court takes a final decision within 1 month. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
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
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2021 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants Amendments were introduced to the amended Immigration Law of 2008 to ensure a more effective management of the removal of third-country nationals who are illegally residing in Luxembourg. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Malta Flag Malta 2021 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs A new legal provision notes that only the International Protection Agency can designate a country as a safe country of origin, and it must be included in the Schedule to the International Protection Act. EUAA Asylum Report 2022