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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 Sort ascending Country Year Type of development Thematic area Development Source
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The government proposed a bill creating the legal basis for enforced COVID-19 testing in the beginning of 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The Minister for Migration announced that the Track 1 procedure, which was established for applicants in the Dublin procedure, would be standardised and made more efficient. In addition, applicants in the Dublin procedure are planned to be offered more moderate material reception conditions, in line with shorter processing times which are foreseen. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Statelessness in the context of asylum Statelessness in the context of asylum The requirements were changed for the documents to be presented by Lebanese Palestinians for the registration of statelessness. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection A new policy was launched to naturalise approximately 8,000-10,000 persons who were regularised earlier, the so-called RANOV permit holders. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection New work instructions were published on the examination of identity and family relations in family reunification procedures, including the use of DNA tests. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
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
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure New, simplified information material was prepared for illiterate persons and persons who cannot read and write in the Latin alphabet. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure As of 1 November 2021, the care of unaccompanied minors aged over 17.5 years was taken over by the COA and the minors were accommodated in regular reception places. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The return of unaccompanied minors was suspended until an examination determines if they would receive adequate reception and care in the country of origin. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Legislative Statelessness in the context of asylum Statelessness in the context of asylum The Statelessness Determination Procedure Act was discussed by the parliament. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The new Civic Integration Law entered into force on 1 January 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Country of origin information Country of origin information The IND published new work instructions on the use of sources and country of origin information in the asylum procedure. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection Municipalities in the Netherlands received an additional EUR 40 million for 2019 and 2020 to become more involved in the counselling of beneficiaries of international protection in their civic integration and language learning. The additional resources also aim to help municipalities orient themselves towards their directing role in the new civic integration system in order to promote a smooth transition to the new system. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions A new multiannual resettlement policy framework for 2020-2023 was established in the Netherlands, including a commitment to resettling 2,000 refugees in 4 years. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The COA launched a pilot project in Utrecht for beneficiaries of international protection, where beneficiaries combine studying and apprenticeship in a 2-year programme to become COA employees. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The State Secretary for Justice and Security announced that the so-called guest arrangement (logeerregeling) for beneficiaries of international protection will continue and is planned to be expanded. Under this arrangement, beneficiaries of international protection may volunteer to be placed with a host family, family or friends, while they are in wait for their definitive housing arrangement. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Access to procedure icon Access to procedure In the framework of the Flexibility of the Asylum Chain Programme, tweaks started to be introduced to the identification and registration process, including the launching of the control board (regietafel), setting up a front portal (voorportal) in Ter Apel and introducing the use of a common file structure available for all stakeholders of the asylum chain. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Council for Child Protection (Raad voor Kinderbescherming, RvdK), the IND and the DT&V set up a permanent partnership under the name Cooperation for Children in Foreigners' Policy (Samenwerkingsverband Kinderen in het Vreemdelingenbeleid, SKIV). EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The IND published new work instructions providing guidelines to implement ECHR, Article 8. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The introduction of the new civic integration system is further postponed and it is foreseen to be launched on 1 January 2022 instead of 1 July 2021. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The IND published new work instructions on further investigation in family reunification procedures, including DNA testing in the asylum procedure. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Statelessness in the context of asylum Statelessness in the context of asylum The IND published new work instructions on Palestinians. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications The IND published its updated work instructions on the border procedure. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The Administrative Division of the Council of State now uses a new, sixth form of motivation of its decisions. When the court rejects an application, it uses one of the template sentences to provide more context for the ground of the refusal. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A special task force was created in March 2020 to deal with the backlog of more than 15,000 asylum applications. It handled 8,200 by the end of 2020 and was foreseen to continue its work until mid-2021. EASO Asylum Report 2021