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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
Finland Flag Finland 2020 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services The Tulppaani project developed a quality control model for interpretation during asylum interviews, using peer-to-peer review, random checks and new guidelines for interpreters. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Latvia Flag Latvia 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Asylum authorities considered that there was no need to provide the personal interview if the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs had proof to grant refugee status. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Ireland Flag Ireland 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Applicants living in reception centres became entitled to the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Malta Flag Malta 2021 Policy Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs A standard form was optimised to submit a subsequent application to further streamline the process. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services The IND published updated work instructions on working together with an interpreter. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The list of safe countries of origin was entirely revised following a decision of the Council of State. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2020 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants A questionnaire was developed and is provided to rejected applicants to assess their willingness for voluntary return. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions Humanitarian admission was pledged for 3,159 Afghans in 2021 and 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The State Secretariat for Migration and cantonal authorities signed amendments to the convention on cantonal integration programmes for the implementation of the Swiss Integration Agenda, which includes more funds for cantons to carry out their plans. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Romania Flag Romania 2021 Policy Access to procedure icon Access to procedure A card document for asylum seekers was introduced, intended to prevent the circulation of forged documents. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Croatia Flag Croatia 2020 Policy Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation The AMIF-funded project, Providing legal advice in the process of granting international protection ended in March 2020, and a new project on the same topic of ensuring access to an effective remedy was announced in November 2020. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Spain Flag Spain 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Ministry of Universities issued a new decree on the recognition procedure for foreign degrees and shortened the procedure to 6 months EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Belgium Flag Belgium 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Minister of Asylum and Migration announced new measures aiming to fight against the abuse of the asylum system. Persons already benefitting from international protection in another EU Member State no longer receive material reception conditions. Dublin applicants who abscond and re-apply for reception following 6 months are also no longer entitled to material reception conditions. Fedasil evaluated these rejections in an individual manner, case-by-case, taking into account any possible vulnerabilities. This policy was withdrawn later in 2020. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Swedish Migration Agency issued a new legal position on statements by children in which it clarified the circumstances when and the ways in which children should be heard during the asylum procedure. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Belgium Flag Belgium 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Council of State suspended the project which aimed to pilot the use of videoconferencing in open centres. This is due to the fact that the Royal Decree on the functioning of the CGRS does not mention this among the competencies of the authority. The project can only continue once the Royal Decree is amended. EASO Asylum Report 2021
France Flag France 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Ministry of the Interior posted several IT tools online to support language learning and social orientation for newcomers. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Belgium Flag Belgium 2022 Policy Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The list of safe countries of origin was reviewed, but no changes were introduced. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Croatia Flag Croatia 2022 Policy Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation The Ministry of the Interior signed a contract with the Croatian Law Centre to carry out an AMIF-funded project, entitled ""Legal guidance in the process of awarding international protection"". EUAA Asylum Report 2023
France Flag France 2022 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Inter-Ministerial Information Note of 18 November 2022 includes good practices on the first assessment of health needs of people claiming to be minors during the temporary emergency reception period. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Iceland Flag Iceland 2022 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A new arrival centre was opened in Reykjavík, offering all services from registration by the police to reception interviews, first health inspection and a needs assessment for permanent housing. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Italy Flag Italy 2022 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The new National Plan for the Integration of Beneficiaries of International Protection 2022-2024 was adopted. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance After the conclusion of the pilot project “Written Interviews” (schriftelijk horen), the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) initiated another pilot offering written interviews to Syrian, Turkish and Yemeni nationals (“Paper and Ink procedure”). 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
Ireland Flag Ireland 2019 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The “National Standards for Accommodation Offered to People in the Protection Process” and a report on direct provision from the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice and Equality were published. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Sweden Flag Sweden 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Swedish Migration Agency published a new legal position on the examination of protection needs of Somali nationals. EUAA Asylum Report 2023