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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 ascending Type of development Thematic area Development Source
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
Iceland Flag Iceland 2022 Policy Content of protection Content of protection Young Afghan refugees who received protection shortly after turning 18 years are now also allowed to apply for family reunification. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Iceland Flag Iceland 2022 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The parliament adopted a resolution for the implementation of an action plan for immigration issues for 2022-2025. Based on the resolution, a steering group was established to formulate a comprehensive integration strategy, with a focus on labour market integration. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) published revised work instructions for the assessment of applications from apostates and atheists. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A moratorium on decisions and returns was in introduced for Russian conscripts (men aged 18 to 27), who deserted or refused to perform military service. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A moratorium on decisions and returns was in place for political opponents from Sudan between 24 February and 24 August 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The moratorium on decisions and departures for Afghan applicants ended, and the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) resumed the decision process on a case-by-case basis. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The recruitment of staff for the authorities in the migration chain continued throughout 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The time limit for deciding on an application for international protection was extended by 9 months. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Following the decision of the Council of State, all groups that were paid special attention in Track 2 were excluded from the safe country of origin designation. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The Unites States, Armenia and Trinidad and Tobago were re-assessed as safe countries of origin. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Access to procedure icon Access to procedure Several measures were introduced to speed up the registration process of certain profiles (Afghan evacuees, family members arriving through family reunification and applicants with appointments) and alleviate pressure on the central reception facility in Ter Apel. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Malta Flag Malta 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The International Protection Agency sampled cases for quality assurance. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2022 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Luxembourg increased its reception capacity to 5,126 beds at the end of 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Migration Department introduced measures to address the high-level of staff turnover. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Italy Flag Italy 2022 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure A Plan for Unaccompanied Minors was adopted, following the arrival of Ukrainian children. It was regularly updated throughout the year to address arising concerns. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Italy Flag Italy 2022 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The National Action Plan 2022-2025 was adopted with long-term strategies and actions aimed at raising awareness, better prevention and the social integration of victims of trafficking. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Ireland Flag Ireland 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Interpreters were permitted to use videoconferencing during the first instance procedures rather than provide interpretation by telephone. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Ireland Flag Ireland 2022 Policy Content of protection Content of protection A regularisation scheme was launched, under which applicants who had been waiting for a decision for more than 2 years may access the labour market and acquire a residence permit. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Ireland Flag Ireland 2022 Policy Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Immigration detention facilities became operational at Dublin airport. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Ireland Flag Ireland 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Department of Justice omitted interviews for certain profiles (such as applicants from Afghanistan, Eritrea and Somalia) in order to speed up the asylum procedure. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Ireland Flag Ireland 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The International Protection Office implemented a new case load management system. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Italy Flag Italy 2022 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The National Association of Employment Agencies and four trade unions signed an agreement to facilitate the labour market integration of beneficiaries of international protection and of national forms of protection. 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
Ireland Flag Ireland 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The International Protection Office implemented a revised asylum application procedure. EUAA Asylum Report 2023