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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
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Statelessness in the context of asylum Statelessness in the context of asylum The requirements were changed for the documents to be presented by Lebanese Palestinians for the registration of statelessness. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Legislative Statelessness in the context of asylum Statelessness in the context of asylum The Statelessness Determination Procedure Act was discussed by the parliament. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection An AMIF-funded project promoted sports, exercise and healthy lifestyle among residents. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The coalition agreement foresees changes in the financing of the reception system, to make it more efficient. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The policy was adjusted on the assessment of the cases of persons from Turkey, who are active in politics, journalism or human rights. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The simplified procedure (Track 2), equivalent to the accelerated procedure, was extended to other categories of applicants. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure New, simplified information material was prepared for illiterate persons and persons who cannot read and write in the Latin alphabet. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The registration process was reorganised and separate streams were set up in specific locations for Afghan evacuees and for persons arriving through family reunification. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection A new policy was launched to naturalise approximately 8,000-10,000 persons who were regularised earlier, the so-called RANOV permit holders. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The new Civic Integration Law entered into force on 1 January 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Hotel and Accommodation Regulation (HAR) was adopted to support beneficiaries of international protection moving out of reception. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The initial interview was dropped (combined with the application interview). During the application interview, applicants are for a brief statement on the reasons for seeking asylum. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Institutional Country of origin information Country of origin information The Office for Country Information and Language Analysis (Team Onderzoek en Expertise Land en Taal (TOELT)) was divided into two departments, one employing the Country Specialists and Linguists (TOELT 01) and the other employing the Employees of the Regional Information Centres and the Coordinators Interpreters (TOELT 02). EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Specific projects continued to address and manage more effectively disruptive behaviour in the reception system. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The task force managing the asylum backlog was integrated into the IND. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure New work instructions were published on when and how a case officer should request advice from the Medical Advisory Office to assess an applicant’s aptitude to travel. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure As of 1 November 2021, the care of unaccompanied minors aged over 17.5 years was taken over by the COA and the minors were accommodated in regular reception places. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The control boards (regietafel) moved to the next implementation phase and continued to ensure that all information is available on the specific individual cases, before they entered the phase of the regular procedure. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection New work instructions were published on the examination of identity and family relations in family reunification procedures, including the use of DNA tests. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Malta Flag Malta 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The employment policy was amended so applicants from a safe country of origin or in the Dublin procedure can access the labour market after 9 months from the lodging of their application for international protection, while other applicants are able to work legally as soon as their asylum application is confirmed. 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 issued internal guidelines, which were formally adopted in 2020 and implemented in 2021, on interviewing and assessing applications based on sexual orientation and gender identity. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Malta Flag Malta 2021 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Amendments to the Maltese Reception Regulations provided a more comprehensive transposition of the provisions in the recast Reception Directive on material reception conditions for vulnerable applicants. 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 drafted guidelines on the involvement and conduct of legal representatives (NGOs or private lawyers) during an asylum interview, allowing lawyers to intervene at certain parts of the interview and limiting their presence in cases of disruptive behaviour. A lawyer can submit supplementary statements within 5 days after the interview. 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 initiated a process to digitise all physical case files and transition towards an electronic filing system. 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