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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
Poland Flag Poland 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Two centres from the Office for Foreigners were lent to the Border Guard due to the need for more capacity in detention. Thus, the capacity in reception facilities temporarily decreased. One of these centres was returned to the Office for Foreigners in mid-June 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2020 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The State Agency for Refugees started to apply EASO standards to identify vulnerable applicants, and it established two safe zones for unaccompanied children in the reception centre in Sofia, which are operated by the IOM. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure A resolution was adopted to outline the national action plans for combating trafficking in human beings, according to the 2020 recommendations from GRETA. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The forms of notification for rejected applicants for international protection were amended to include information on their rights for effective remedy, timelines and programmes available for voluntary and assisted return operations. 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
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
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection Switzerland launched a pilot programme for the employment integration of refugees and persons with temporary admission and concluded subsidy contracts with 14 cantons. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Finland Flag Finland 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Finnish Immigration Service started to notify applicants, whenever possible, through phone or videoconferencing about the decision on their application. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The State Agency for Refugees reviewed internal guidelines and rules and prepared an analysis of national jurisprudence for internal use. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Estonia Flag Estonia 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance An updated version of the register of granting international protection (RAKS2) was launched, including new features that allow the inclusion of data on court procedures and an automated process for receiving country of origin information. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Germany Flag Germany 2022 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure BAMF reviewed and clarified its internal instructions regarding procedures involving LGBTIQ applicants. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Ireland Flag Ireland 2022 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence identified migrants, undocumented migrants, refugees and international protection applicants as requiring additional inclusion measures to address domestic sexual and gender-based violence. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The recruitment of staff for the authorities in the migration chain continued throughout 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Netherlands Forensic Institute changed its practice based on a recent literature review, and since October 2022, applicants with a mature collarbone are considered to be at least 18 years old, instead of 20 years. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Spain Flag Spain 2022 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration signed a memorandum with the Spanish Olympic Committee to promote sports in the reception system. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Malta Flag Malta 2019 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Office of the Refugee Commissioner started implementing changes to reporting on case allocation and backlog. EASO Asylum Report 2020
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
Spain Flag Spain 2019 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The number of staff working on asylum was increased. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Belgium Flag Belgium 2019 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants Fedasil in Belgium issued a new instruction on the implementation of the return process for failed applicants with serious medical issues. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Finland Flag Finland 2019 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The AMIF-funded OSAKA project was finalised, focusing on the assessment and recognition of previous education, work experiences and skills. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2019 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The AMIF project established the national forced return monitoring system, conducted by the Commissioner for Administration and Protection of Human Rights Ombudsman. 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
France Flag France 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Prime Minister evaluated the results of amendments introduced in September 2018 and put forward several major guidelines shaping the French migration policy, including improving integration policies and the reception of applicants for international protection. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection Changes in the procedure to grant a residence permit for persons in a distressing situation were implemented (among others) with the abolishment of the discretionary power of the Minister for Migration and by mandating the Managing Director of the IND to consider ex officio within the first assessment of the application whether a distressing situation exists. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Austria Flag Austria 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection Withdrawal procedures remained a priority for the BFA. EASO Asylum Report 2020