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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 descending Country Year Type of development Thematic area Development Source
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2019 Institutional Content of protection Content of protection The Department of Integration was created within the Ministry of Family Affairs, Integration and the Greater Region. EASO Asylum Report 2020
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 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
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 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
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The government increased the threshold of subsidies for municipalities from 80 % to 100 % of the rental prices announced by the Housing Observatory to encourage rentals for beneficiaries of international protection. Beneficiaries may also continue to live in reception facilities for a small fee. EASO Asylum Report 2020
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 2022 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure A bill proposed the introduction of non-negligible risk of absconding as a reason for detention, specifying in what cases this risk is presumed. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2020 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure A new regulation sets out the operation and work process of the interdisciplinary commission to evaluate the best interests of unaccompanied minors in a return decision. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance A draft amendment of the Law on international protection and on temporary protection would introduce changes to appeal possibilities against a decision to withdraw international protection. The amendment would align appeals against withdrawals with those against refusals in the normal procedure for greater harmony, whereas currently an appeal against withdrawals falls under common law. EASO Asylum Report 2021
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
Malta Flag Malta 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The National Asylum Seekers Management System (NASMS) was improved to better communicate information on individual cases between the International Protection Agency and the International Protection Appeals Tribunal. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Malta Flag Malta 2021 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Minor Protection (Alternative Care) Act was amended in 2021 to avoid the potential conflict of interest that was embedded in the previous practice, when social workers and guardians belonged to the same institution. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Malta Flag Malta 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The International Protection Agency’s interpreters are bound by a code of conduct to increase professionalism and performance since 2021. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Malta Flag Malta 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The Refugee Appeals Board changed its name to International Protection Appeals Tribunal. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Malta Flag Malta 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The AWAS established the Therapeutic Services Unit (TSU) for migrants suffering from psychological disorders due to trauma, with a special team dedicated to children and unaccompanied minors. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Malta Flag Malta 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The International Protection Agency adopted guidelines on the application of the recast Qualification Directive Articles 15(b) and 15(c) for applicants from Libya. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Malta Flag Malta 2022 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The International Protection Act was amended to clarify the criteria for exclusion from subsidiary protection, the criteria for considering an application manifestly unfounded, the subsequent application procedure, the application procedure for children in need of care and the procedure for temporary humanitarian protection (a national form of protection). EUAA Asylum Report 2023
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
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 2019 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Office of the Refugee Commissioner and the IT Unit of the Ministry for Home Affairs, National Security and Law Enforcement improved the national asylum database that records relevant data pertaining to applications for international protection, as well as for registering asylum seekers. EASO Asylum Report 2020
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
Malta Flag Malta 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The authorities focused on enforcing contracts signed with applicants for their accommodation to ensure that reception spaces are swiftly available. When appointments are not respected or when there are clear indications that the applicant abandoned the asylum procedure, the International Protection Agency considers the application implicitly withdrawn and informs AWAS, which terminates the reception contract. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Malta Flag Malta 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The International Protection Agency (IPA) issued instructions that children between 2 and 10 years could not accompany their parents to the personal interview at the IPA’s premises. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Malta Flag Malta 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection Criteria for the Specific Residence Authorisation (SRA) policy was modified. EASO Asylum Report 2021