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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 Development Source
Malta Flag Malta 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The International Protection Agency introduced regular and routine reflective meetings on the quality of asylum procedure, and set up the Quality Control Unit with EUAA support. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
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
Malta Flag Malta 2021 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs A new legal provision notes that only the International Protection Agency can designate a country as a safe country of origin, and it must be included in the Schedule to the International Protection Act. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Malta Flag Malta 2021 Policy Access to procedure icon Access to procedure Authorities expressed the view that cooperation on returns to Libya is indispensable for the effective management of sea arrivals. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Malta Flag Malta 2021 Policy Access to procedure icon Access to procedure Several changes were made to practices to improve access to the asylum procedure, which included improvements to office premises, streamlining registration and lodging procedures, issuing updated registration guidelines, and providing information on specialised services to applicants with a sexual orientation or gender identity claim. Improvements to the electronic database were also made in order to further streamline registration and lodging procedures. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2021 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure A modification to the Asylum Law came into force in July 2021. An appeal against a Dublin transfer decision means an automatic suspension of the transfer until the administrative court takes a final decision within 1 month. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2021 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection An amended law entered into force in June 2021 allowing beneficiaries of international protection to apply for family reunification with facilitated conditions for 6 months from being granted the status. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2021 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants Amendments were introduced to the amended Immigration Law of 2008 to ensure a more effective management of the removal of third-country nationals who are illegally residing in Luxembourg. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2021 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions The government pledged to receive 90 Afghan nationals at risk, including girls, women, former judges and human rights activists during 2021 and 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2021 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services The budget was increased for the Directorate of Immigration for translation and interpretation by 2.8%, while in practice it spent 32% more for these purposes in 2021 compared to 2020. The costs allocated to the National Reception Office (ONA) for experts, studies and translations decreased by 38%. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A complete IT overhaul was implemented in the reception system. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Reception structures by type of procedure were established in the initial reception system. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The new first-reception centre started its operations at the beginning 2021, and staff optimised processes and information flows. Particular focus was given to promote voluntary returns for applicants with little chances of being recognised to avoid forced returns. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Cases lodged by Afghan nationals were processed where the need for protection was evident, so only positive decisions were issued, as well as inadmissible and Dublin decisions, while negative decisions were suspended. From the end of January 2022, the examination of these cases resumed, and the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum scheduled applicants for a complementary interview to discuss changes in their situation if the initial interview was done before 15 August 2021. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2021 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure Authorities declared a state of emergency applicable to the entire border section with Belarus and 5 kilometres from it. Measures included the substantial closure of the border, limited access to emergency areas to permit holders, and limited access by foreigners. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2021 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions To facilitate resettlement in Lithuania, as of April 2021 travel documents issued to refugees by the International Committee of the Red Cross were recognised as valid. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2021 Legislative Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation Amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens clarified the scope of free legal assistance as covering solely asylum procedures at the national level and thus excluding cases submitted before European courts. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2021 Legislative Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation Amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens allow restrictions to be placed on contact between legal services providers and asylum applicants during a state of emergency. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2021 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens prolong detention for an additional 6 months (up to 1 year in total) and limits the freedom of movement to specific geographical areas. An asylum seeker may be detained or movement restricted to the place of accommodation if entering the territory illegally in the event of a war, an emergency or an emergency due to a mass influx of foreigners. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2021 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens stipulate that the right to work would be acquired 12 months after the date of registration in the Lithuanian Migration Information System (MIGRIS). EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2021 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens changed second instance procedures for decisions pronounced in an accelerated procedure. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2021 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The Law on the Legal Status of Aliens was amended, establishing at the end of a 6-month border procedure, the Migration Department and the State Border Guard Service will decide on the accommodation and restriction of freedom of movement based on the individual situation of each person and the possibility to refuse the lodging of an asylum application in exceptional situations. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2021 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services The Ministry of the Interior signed a memorandum of understanding with the Red Cross to organise translation services in various dialects, share their expertise with social workers working with migrants, and act as intermediaries between municipal communities and government representatives to ensure effective communication with illegal migrants. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2021 Legislative Interpretation services Interpretation services Amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens stated that, in the event of a declaration of martial law, a state of emergency or an emergency due to a mass influx of foreigners, some rights provided to asylum applicants, including interpretation, may be temporarily and proportionally restricted. However, this article was repealed on 1 January 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection After the declaration of the state of emergency all centres were transformed to provide accommodation for applicants under the accelerated procedure, with strict limitations on freedom of movement. Filming, photographing and sound recordings were prohibited in accommodation centres, access to the facilities was restricted, and gatherings in centres were limited. EUAA Asylum Report 2022