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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 Sort ascending Development Source
Sweden Flag Sweden 2021 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services The Swedish Migration Agency published a legal position on the requirements for interpreters and translators to work in the asylum context. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Iceland Flag Iceland 2022 Legislative Interpretation services Interpretation services A reform of administrative procedures, including asylum procedures, provides for professional interpretation to persons who do not speak Icelandic. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Norway Flag Norway 2022 Legislative Interpretation services Interpretation services The Interpretation Act entered into force, obliging public bodies to use a qualified interpreter. It stipulates the requirement of professional conduct, including the duty of confidentiality, by interpreters. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
France Flag France 2022 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services OFPRA updated the charter for interpreters and translators. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Germany Flag Germany 2022 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services BAMF published a brochure for interpreters with information and recommendations for successful interpretation, a new webpage on interpretation in the asylum procedure, a bilingual terminology list on sexual orientation and gender identity, and an updated version of the booklet for interpreters. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Italy Flag Italy 2022 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services The Department for Civil Liberties and Immigration announced a national project to define the training curriculum of the transcultural mediator in the health sector. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The Swedish Migration Agency published a legal position on the applicability of the Dublin III Regulation vis-a-vis the United Kingdom after 31 December 2020. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2020 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The Aliens Circular was amended to reflect CJEU jurisprudence in Jawo and clarified when an applicant can be considered to have absconded. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2020 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure A draft law would modify the remedy system available for the The Dublin procedure to ensure the efficiency of the procedure, while keeping legal guarantees at the maximum level. It would modify and align the time limits and methods of appeal. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2020 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure Some processes related to decisions on Dublin cases were clarified, with the aim to have a more efficient and timely procedure. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2019 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The Swedish Migration Agency revised its Dublin tracks by reflecting the estimated handling time of the case and improvements to its IT systems allowed more rapid information exchanges on Dublin cases. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Finland Flag Finland 2019 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The first transfer decision to Greece since 2011 was made. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Belgium Flag Belgium 2019 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The Immigration Office increased its staff working on Dublin cases. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2019 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure A new software was piloted to store files of applicants who are subject to incoming Dublin requests from other states. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2019 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure An amendment of the Dutch Aliens Act (Vw, Vreemdelingenwet), Article 50a, permitted applicants or Dublin claimants, who are legally residing after a decision on the asylum application and awaiting a Dublin transfer, to be stopped, transferred to a place to be questioned and kept in custody for a maximum of six hours if needed to assess whether detention is necessary in the framework of the Dublin procedure. NL LEG 01 2019
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
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2019 Institutional The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The transfer of asylum applicants to the responsible Dublin state became the task of the State Border Guard Service. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Luxembourg Flag Luxembourg 2019 Institutional The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The Dublin Unit of the Directorate of Immigration was moved from the Return Unit, Department for Returns to the Asylum Unit, Department for Refugees. EASO Asylum Report 2020
United Kingdom United Kingdom 2019 Institutional The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure Three teams from the Home Office, UK Visas and Immigration, Third Country Unit in London were transferred to Glasgow under the newly-established Home Office Immigration Enforcement Third Country Unit, taking over responsibility for Dublin out cases. The fourth team remained in London and became the Dublin Cessation Team (DCT). EASO Asylum Report 2020
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2019 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The transfer of asylum applicants to the responsible Dublin state became the task of the State Border Guard Service. LT LEG 01 2019
France Flag France 2019 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure A decree clarified the role and tasks of the préfectures concerning the Regional Dublin Procedural Hubs. FR LEG 01 2019
France Flag France 2019 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure An order designated the préfectures responsible for the implementation of Dublin procedures. FR LEG 02 2019
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2021 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure An amendment was pending approval by the Council of Ministers to modify the “Regulation on responsibilities and coordination of public authorities implementing action on the application of the Dublin III and Eurodac Regulations”. 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
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2021 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure Amendments to the International Protection Act (IPA) clarified that applicants awaiting a transfer to another country under the Dublin III Regulation have the same reception rights as other applicants until their transfer. EUAA Asylum Report 2022