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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 Thematic area Sort ascending Development Source
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2019 Legislative Statelessness in the context of asylum Statelessness in the context of asylum An amendment to the Law on Foreigners stated that stateless persons who do not meet the requirements for permanent or long-term residence may obtain permission for a one-year prolonged stay. BG LEG 01 2019
Iceland Flag Iceland 2021 Policy Statelessness in the context of asylum Statelessness in the context of asylum The country acceded to the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, and the Directorate of Immigration adopted a Standard Operation Procedure, developed in cooperation with UNHCR. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Czech Flag Czech Republic 2019 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications The time limit for the accelerated procedure for international protection was extended from 30 to 90 days. CZ LEG 01 2019
Ireland Flag Ireland 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications The UK was designated as a safe third country. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications The court has to decide ex officio or at the request of the applicant on the right to stay during an appeal against the rejection of a subsequent application. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications The Swedish Migration Agency proposed 8 countries to be considered safe countries of origin: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile, Kosovo, Mongolia, Northern Macedonia, Serbia and USA. The new list is foreseen to enter into force on 1 May 2021. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications The decision on which procedure the applicant follows must be made within 2 working days and no sperate decision is issued on this, but the case officer communicates this during the interview. The decision on admissibility is issued within 3 working days from the registration of the application. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Malta Flag Malta 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia were added to the list of safe countries of origin. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications Bangladesh and Pakistan were added to the list of safe countries of origin. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications A Ministerial Decision established a list of safe countries of origin. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2019 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications The decree identified border or transit zones in several provinces and established two additional sections of the Territorial Commissions in Apulia and Sicily. IT LEG 02 2019
Czech Flag Czech Republic 2019 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications The list of grounds for subsequent applications was extended in July 2019 if there is reason to believe that asylum or subsidiary protection for the purpose of family reunification will be granted. CZ LEG 01 2019
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications Applications from return facilities (CPR, centro di permanenza per il rimpatrio) and safe countries of origin are assessed within the accelerated procedure. Applications from a safe country of origin will follow the 9-day procedure, while a new ground for the 5-day procedure was established for applicants convicted of serious crimes. The 18-day procedure was revoked. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Estonia Flag Estonia 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications The amendment of the Act on Granting International Protection to Aliens clarified that the PBGB must update the list of safe countries of origin at least once a year. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Austria Flag Austria 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications The UK and Northern Ireland were added to the list of safe countries of origin. EASO Asylum Report 2021
France Flag France 2019 Policy Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications The Management Board of OFPRA decided to maintain the current list of safe countries of origin but the situation in Benin will be reviewed within six months. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications A new definition was adopted for subsequent applications to align it with the recast Asylum Procedures Directive. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Estonia Flag Estonia 2019 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications A proposition was presented to amend the Act on Granting International Protection to Aliens by updating the national list of safe countries of origin at least once a year. The duty to notify the European Commission lies with the Ministry of the Interior. EE LEG 01 2019
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications Applicants applying at border crossing points or transit zones are not considered to have entered the territory until a decision to allow entrance is issued. The Migration Department must issue this decision within 48 hours. Applicants refused entry are accommodated at the border crossing points or transit zones for the time of lodging an appeal. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications An amendment specified that an application could be examined under the accelerated procedure, and its examination is to be prioritised within 30 days from its lodging. This time limit can be extended up to 2 months. The time limit for lodging an appeal against a negative decision is 15 days. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2019 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications New Inter-ministerial Decree defined a list of safe countries of origin. IT LEG 03 2019
Belgium Flag Belgium 2020 Policy Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications The Council of Ministers adopted the draft royal decree establishing a list of safe countries of origin. The draft did not include any changes to the list of safe countries from the previous year. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2019 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications An amendment to the Aliens Circular (Vc) established a new procedure regarding lodging and assessing subsequent asylum applications. NL LEG 03 2019
France Flag France 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications Benin was removed from the list of safe countries of origin. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2019 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications By Ministerial Decision on Safe Countries, the accelerated procedure is applied to Georgian nationals. CY LEG 01 2019