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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 Sort ascending Year Type of development Thematic area Development Source
Germany Flag Germany 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection New AnkER facilities were opened. In 2020, the model has been implemented in 8 of 16 federal states. 7 AnkER facilities have been set up in the state of Bavaria, 1 AnkER facility in each of the states of Saxony and Saarland. In addition to that, seven 'functionally-equivalent facilities' exist nationwide. The functioning of these facilities was evaluated and the results were published in February 2021. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Germany Flag Germany 2022 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions After a 3-year pilot, the Neustart im Team (NesT) programme for community sponsorship was consolidated. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Institutional The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The German Dublin Unit within BAMF became responsible for deciding on the admissibility of applications when the applicant is already a beneficiary of international protection in another Dublin state. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Adult applicants without children are required to live in an initial reception centre for a maximum period of 18 months (federal states may decide to extend this period to 24 months). The previous law defined a 6-month maximum period. DE LEG 03 2019
Germany Flag Germany 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The AnkER concept is planned not to be used any longer, even though similar facilities for initial reception remain. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Germany Flag Germany 2022 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The draft of the Second Law for the Introduction of a Right of Opportunity to Stay proposed to end the accumulation of tolerated stay periods (Kettenduldung), which would no longer be counted towards residence rights. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Germany Flag Germany 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Germany announced adapting its policy on women and girls from Afghanistan. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance BAMF amended its quality assurance system so that some quality assurance employees rotate among the different branch offices to bring more homogeneity in decisions. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants Authorities will no longer announce the planned date for forced removal following the expiry of the date for voluntary return. Information about the circumstances of a particular removal is now considered to be secret and sharing such information or instigating or abetting the sharing of such information is punishable under criminal law. DE LEG 03 2019
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The act introduced the tolerated status related to employment (Beschäftigungsduldung) for persons who can cover their own living costs and are well integrated. The criteria include: at least of 12 months of tolerated status (Vorduldung), clear identity, in employment for at least 18 months working at least 35 hours a week, stable livelihood and sufficient language knowledge. DE LEG 06 2019
Germany Flag Germany 2022 Legislative Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation The German parliament adopted a bill replacing state-run counselling with a new system, combining the first stage of counselling by BAMF and independent counselling, financed by the federal government but carried out by welfare associations or other civil society organisations. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Germany Flag Germany 2020 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The Act on Tolerated Status related to Education and Employment of 8 July 2019 entered into force on 1 January 2020. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure A “detention for non-cooperation” (Mitwirkungshaft) of 14 days was introduced, enforceable against foreigners who do not cooperate in the establishment of their identity in the framework of return. DE LEG 03 2019
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The residence regulation applicable to a beneficiary can only be lifted when the relevant authority at the place of originally-assigned residence gives its explicit agreement. DE LEG 05 2019
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
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
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The level of benefits for applicants is more aligned with the general level of social security, for example with the level of basic support for job seekers. Electricity and maintenance are now provided as in-kind benefits and therefore their costs are deducted from cash benefits. DE LEG 02 2019
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The law facilitates access to vocational training for all persons with a right to work in Germany, regardless of the initial residence circumstances of the person concerned. DE LEG 04 2019
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure Fingerprinting became obligatory for all applicants aged 6 years and older. The age range for fingerprints was 14 years and older. DE LEG 01 2019
Germany Flag Germany 2021 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions The German Academic Exchange Service launched new scholarship programmes for refugees from Cameron, Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal, with funding from the German Foreign Office. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Germany Flag Germany 2020 Policy Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community submitted to the Federal Cabinet its evaluation report on the Data Exchange Improvement Act, which was adopted in 2016 and introduced a comprehensive and standardised registration of applicants in the Central Registry of Foreigners (AZR). EASO Asylum Report 2021
Germany Flag Germany 2022 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions Germany launched a new programme at the federal level to admit 1,000 vulnerable Afghan nationals per month. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Access to information Access to information The Asylum Act was complemented with Article 12a, which regulates the modalities of BAMF counselling on asylum procedures for applicants. DE LEG 03 2019
Germany Flag Germany 2021 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services The coalition agreement set out to closely monitor the use of interpreters for LGBTIQ applicants for international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2022