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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
Sweden Flag Sweden 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Swedish Migration Agency updated its legal position on the medical examination of applicants invoking physical or psychological harm to support their asylum claim. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Sweden Flag Sweden 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Swedish Migration Agency published a new legal position on the assessment of applications for international protection lodged by Syrian nationals. The SMA considered that Syrians summoned for military service or who deserted ran a general risk of persecution. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Sweden Flag Sweden 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Applicants are not entitled to daily allowance anymore if they choose to reside in specific areas with high rates of immigrants and socio-economic challenges (32 municipalities listed), in order to avoid segregation. SE LEG 02 2019
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Swedish Migration Agency published a legal position regarding certain Yemeni passports. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The National Audit Office reviewed voluntary and forced return legislation, policy and practices and suggested that the government substantially reorganise the tasks of the authorities and the division of responsibilities. In its reply letter, the government agreed with the recommendations related to reconsidering the process of information flow among the different authorities and agreed partially with other recommendations. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The list of municipalities where applicants are not entitled to daily allowance was revised, if they choose to reside there. Out of 32 pre-identified municipalities, 23 are such areas. The changes entered into force 1 January 2021. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2021 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The Swedish Migration Agency updated the list of countries whose citizens are eligible for reintegration assistance in cash when returning to these countries from Sweden. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Sweden Flag Sweden 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Swedish Migration Agency updated its legal position on Iraq on 1 July 2022, following closely the latest EUAA Country Guidance on Iraq. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Sweden Flag Sweden 2021 Legislative Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions A number of amendments to the regulatory framework concerning resettlement were adopted to enable greater flexibility in acute situations, such as the Afghanistan situation. According to a government decision, the requirement that a person must be in a third country to be eligible for resettlement was temporarily removed. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Swedish Migration Agency published a legal position on the examination of the right to permanent residence permit under the Temporary Act for beneficiaries of international protection who are able to financially maintain themselves. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2021 Policy Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The Swedish Migration Agency adopted legal positions on several issues providing guidance on the calculation of detention times, the validity period of a detention decision and which authority is competent to address detention if there is an enforceable expulsion or expulsion decision and the detainee applies for protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Sweden Flag Sweden 2022 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The legal position was updated on a child’s age assessment for family reunification with recent CJEU case law. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Sweden Flag Sweden 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The government provided funding to increase the length of civic orientation from 60 to 100 hours. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Sweden Flag Sweden 2019 Policy Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The Swedish Migration Agency launched a portal allowing legal counsellors to submit appeals against first instance decisions electronically. Another pilot continued, in cooperation with the Swedish National Courts Administration, to digitally transfer appeals between the agency and the courts. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Sweden Flag Sweden 2021 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Social orientation classes became obligatory in Sweden for all applicants as soon as possible after an application for asylum has been registered. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Swedish Migration Agency provided clarification on the application of the economic requirement for family reunification, explaining in which cases beneficiaries of international protection and children are exempted from these rules. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Swedish Migration Agency published a new legal position on the application of the ECHR, Article 3 in the assessment of an asylum application when an illness is invoked. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The so-called EBO rules entered into force on 1 July 2020. According to these rules, applicants are no longer entitled to a daily allowance if they choose to reside in specific areas with high rates of immigrants and socio-economic challenges (32 municipalities listed in 2020, revised to 23 municipalities as of 1 January 2021). EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2022 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The Swedish Migration Agency published a legal comment (RK/002/2022) on the interpretation of CJEU C-441/19 by which the court ruled that, before issuing a return decision for an unaccompanied minor, Member States must confirm that there are adequate reception facilities for minors in the state of return. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Sweden Flag Sweden 2022 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Swedish Migration Agency issued a legal position on the relevant time for determining the age of an applicant or a sponsor, in particular in cases of family reunification. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Sweden Flag Sweden 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The Swedish Migration Agency published new instructions on handling LGBTI cases and changed its system on assessing these cases. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Sweden Flag Sweden 2021 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Legislative changes to the Aliens Act were introduced allowing the Migration Agency to reject an application as manifestly unfounded when the applicant comes from a country included in the list of safe countries of origin. The decision becomes immediately enforceable with no automatic suspensive effect or the right to remain pending the outcome of an appeal procedure. The agency published a corresponding legal position. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A legal position was published on public assistants, outlining the requirements to be appointed by the Swedish Migration Agency. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Sweden Flag Sweden 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Swedish Migration Agency updated its legal position on assessing the best interests of the child. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The Swedish Migration Agency, the police and Swedish diplomatic missions abroad were also given the right to process sensitive data, as described by the Aliens Data Act, and to test and develop existing IT systems for managing the personal data of third-country nationals, for example to participate in international cooperation. EASO Asylum Report 2021