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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 descending Thematic area Development Source
Germany Flag Germany 2020 Institutional Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Franco-German Parliamentary Assembly created a new joint working group on migration, asylum and integration. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2020 Institutional Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection On 1 January 2020, the National Reception Office (ONA), which is under the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, replaced the Luxembourg Office for Reception and Integration (OLAI) for the reception of asylum applications. The responsibility for integration was transferred to the Ministry of Family Affairs, Integration and the Greater Region under the Department for Integration. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Norway Flag Norway 2020 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The Norwegian government passed a law which provides the possibility to increase the length of introduction programmes and training by 6 months due to the pandemic. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2022 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A new classification of laws on international protection, reception and temporary protection was set in a new code through Law No 4939/2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2020 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection An amendment to the Asylum Act entered into force, which describes the modalities and limits of video surveillance in federal reception centres. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2022 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure A new regulation was adopted to consolidate in one legislative piece the tasks of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies related to unaccompanied minors. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Ireland Flag Ireland 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The International Protection Act 2015 (Section 51B)(Places of Detention) Regulations 2020 set out the places of detention for the purpose of facilitating the return of a person whose application for international protection was determined to be inadmissible and who is subject of a return order. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Legislative Statelessness in the context of asylum Statelessness in the context of asylum A bill was passed for a new stateless determination procedure and another bill amended the Dutch Nationality Act to allow stateless children to apply for naturalisation after 5 years of habitual residence. The bills still need to be adopted by the Senate. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The maximum length of detention was shortened to 90 days from 180 days. This can be prolonged with an additional 30 days for citizens of a country that has signed repatriation agreement with Italy. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2022 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Asylum Act was amended and codified the practice that applicants can stay outside of the reception facility for 3 months, with the possibility of extending this period without losing the right to material reception conditions. The act also regulates the initial integration of beneficiaries of international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2020 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure A new alternative to detention was introduced, limiting the right to free movement to the territory of the accommodation facility. EASO Asylum Report 2021
France Flag France 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications The validity period of the asylum application certificate was extended to 10 months for applicants in the regular procedure and 6 months for applicants in the accelerated procedure. These can then be renewed in periods of 6 months. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Greece Flag Greece 2020 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A new law outlined the development of information systems in reception structures and clarified the end of material reception conditions for recognised beneficiaries of international protection. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Hungary Flag Hungary 2020 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure Asylum Law, Article 86/A was amended: The NDGAP can receive and process personal data that are publicly available due to public interest, including from foreign databases. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Ireland Flag Ireland 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications The Withdrawal of the UK from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Act 2020 introduced the concept of a safe third country into the International Protection Act 2015 and enabled the Minister for Justice to designate by order a country as a safe third country. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The time limits for appeal were clarified and a new paragraph was added which underlines that the court decides exofficio or at the applicants request on their right to remain when the appeal concerns a rejected subsequent application. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2020 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A Ministerial Decision defined the provision of material reception conditions in cash. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Finland Flag Finland 2020 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A temporary amendment was passed to the Aliens Act to extend the period of an applicant's right to work. Applicants were temporarily able to work in agriculture, forestry, horticulture and fisheries without a waiting period and they could continue to work in these sectors longer, until they are in the country and receive material reception conditions, despite an enforceable removal decision. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2019 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure An amendment allowed a systematic verification process for the prolongation of a third country national’s administrative detention. LU LEG 03 2019
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2019 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications Georgia, Nepal and Senegal were added to the list of safe third countries, while Turkey was removed from the list. SI LEG 01 2019
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Applicants undertaking voluntary work may keep EUR 200 of volunteer allowance, in addition to the benefits granted under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act. DE LEG 02 2019
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The new act clarified that if the reason for an applicant to move to another federal state becomes obsolete three months from the move, then the first federal state must continue to bear integration costs for three years. DE LEG 05 2019
Hungary Flag Hungary 2019 Legislative Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Government Decree 277/2018 (XII. 21.) entered into force, modifying Government Decree 114/2007 (V. 24.), which clarified the types of administrative actions that the Aliens Police can carry out in the absence of a legal guardian when the applicant is an unaccompanied minor. HU LEG 01 2019
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2019 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection A new ground was added to withdraw subsidiary protection: when there is a serious ground that the person’s stay in the country would represent a threat to national security or the community. LT LEG 01 2019
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