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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 Sort descending Thematic area Development Source
Estonia Flag Estonia 2020 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The criteria for the risk of absconding when a return decision is issued were clarified. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection An amendment to the Law on the Legal Status of Foreigners granted applicants the right to work if the Migration Department had not taken a decision on their application within six months of the lodging and the applicants were not responsible for the delay. LT LEG 02 2019
Norway Flag Norway 2019 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants A legislative proposal was introduced for a national legal basis for a forced return monitoring system, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Return Directive. NO LEG 03 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
Greece Flag Greece 2019 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The length of residence permits for beneficiaries of subsidiary protection was decreased to one year (from three years), renewable for two years. EL LEG 05 2019
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
Croatia Flag Croatia 2019 Legislative Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The new Foster Care Act entered into force, whereby unaccompanied minors can stay with a foster family. HR LEG 01 2019
Finland Flag Finland 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The start and end point of an applicant’s right to work was clarified. FI LEG 01 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
Croatia Flag Croatia 2021 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Amendments were drafted to the Act on International and Temporary Protection, with the aim of aligning national legislation with the recast Asylum Procedures Directive. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Finland Flag Finland 2021 Legislative Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation Free legal aid was made available to all applicants for international protection during an interview, not only to vulnerable groups. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Hungary Flag Hungary 2021 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The special conditions to submit an asylum application which were introduced by the Hungarian government in May 2020 were extended until 31 December 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
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
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2021 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Amendments to the International Protection Act (IPA) now allow the competent authority to decide on the admissibility of an application at the border or in a transit area if a person expresses an intention to apply for international protection. The time limit for a decision in the border procedure was extended from 2 weeks to 3 weeks. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Sweden Flag Sweden 2021 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs A list of safe countries of origin was adopted, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile, Georgia, Kosovo, Mongolia, Northern Macedonia and Serbia. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Belgium Flag Belgium 2022 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The government announced its intention to create a separate right of residence through family reunification for parents of children who are recognised beneficiaries of international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Malta Flag Malta 2020 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure SOGI was included to be a particular social group under the Procedural Standards for Granting and Withdrawing International Protection Regulation. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Finland Flag Finland 2022 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The government submitted a legislative proposal to the parliament to introduce a border procedure that could be triggered by a government decision if an exceptionally large number of migrants arrive in a short period of time or if hybrid activities aiming to exploit migration were directed against Finland. However, the parliament did not manage to consider the proposal by the end of the electoral term (29 March 2023) and it was allowed to lapse. The next government will decide if the changes are proposed again. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Norway Flag Norway 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The UDI introduced a new case management flow by which 70% of applicants receive a decision within 21 days of lodging an application, assisted by the Qlik Sense tool. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Germany Flag Germany 2022 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The legal framework on social benefits was revised for German nationals and beneficiaries of international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications The Swedish Parliament adopted the government's proposal from December 2020 to incorporate the rules on safe countries of origin in the Aliens Act. The new rules allow the Swedish Migration Agency to consider an application manifestly unfounded if the applicant comes from a country included in the list. The amendments enter into force on 1 May 2021. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2022 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure A new circular clarifying the connection between an application for a special protection permit (a national form of protection) and the Dublin procedure was published. It states that an application for special protection should be deemed inadmissible if the applicant has also applied for international protection and is involved in a pending Dublin procedure. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
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
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The income and family support measures provided in the Cura Italia Decree, including a EUR 600 allowance, babysitting allowance and COVID-19 special leave, were made accessible to applicants in employment. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Portugal Flag Portugal 2022 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Asylum Act was amended to allow applicants for international protection to work from the day they submit their application and receive related support. EUAA Asylum Report 2023