|
Lithuania |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to process asylum applications |
Applications in the accelerated procedure are processed within 10 days. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Spain |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
Spain’s Council of Ministers adopted a draft bill on trafficking and exploitation which focuses on prevention, assistance and the protection of victims by guaranteeing a series of rights and support measures. A national referral mechanism for potential trafficking victims will also be created. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Luxembourg |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
A new regulation sets out the operation and work process of the interdisciplinary commission to evaluate the best interests of unaccompanied minors in a return decision. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Greece |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to process asylum applications |
The implementation of the rules on the exceptional border procedure - which applies to third-country nationals in Reception and Identification Centres in Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Leros and Kos - were extended until 31 December 2021. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Greece |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Interpretation services |
An amendment clarified that where the provision of interpretation is not possible in the applicant's language of choice, interpretation is provided in the official language of the applicant's country of origin or in another language which may reasonably be assumed to be understood by the applicant, including international sign language. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Hungary |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
Article 80/K(11) now also includes persons whose status ceased or was revoked, meaning that when they submit a subsequent application under the rules applicable during a state of crisis caused by mass migration, they will not be entitled to a residence permit, material reception conditions or access to work. Previously this section included only persons whose application was rejected or terminated with a final decision. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Belgium |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
In order to fill gaps in labour market shortages caused by the pandemic, applicants were exceptionally exempted from the 4-month waiting period until 30 June 2020. In view of the continuing shortage of workers in some sectors due to the closing of the borders, this measure was resumed from December 2020 until 30 June 2021. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Cyprus |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to process asylum applications |
When a subsequent application is deemed to be inadmissible, the appeal needs to be lodged within 15 days. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Estonia |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance |
The administrative court may order an applicant's detention without the descriptive and reasoning part when it is faced with a high number of detention requests. These parts are provided to the applicant if the detention decision is contested. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Netherlands |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
The Aliens Circular was amended to clarify that an age assessment takes place in two separate sessions, one with the AVIM and one with the IND. Employees of the same public authority assess the age independently, but they can attend the same assessment session. |
NL LEG 05 2019 |
|
Germany |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Access to information |
The Asylum Act was complemented with Article 12a, which regulates the modalities of BAMF counselling on asylum procedures for applicants. |
DE LEG 03 2019 |
|
Greece |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to process asylum applications |
Greece adopted a list of 12 safe countries of origin: Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Georgia, Ghana, India, Morocco, Senegal, Togo, Tunisia, The Gambia and Ukraine. |
EL LEG 04 2019 |
|
Lithuania |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Access to procedure |
The Migration Department took over some tasks from the police and, for example, applicants can now lodge an application directly with the institution rather than the police. The initial interview with the applicant is obligatorily recorded (video or audio) and attached to the personal file. The department can now also issue a Certificate of Acceptance of an Application for Asylum, confirming an applicant’s status and serving as a Foreigners’ Registration Certificate, pending the issuance of the latter. |
LT LEG 01 2019 |
|
Bulgaria |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Statelessness in the context of asylum |
An amendment to the Law on Foreigners stated that stateless persons who do not meet the requirements for permanent or long-term residence may obtain permission for a one-year prolonged stay. |
BG LEG 01 2019 |
|
Finland |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to process asylum applications |
An amendment to the Aliens Act defined the criteria for subsequent applications. |
FI LEG 01 2019 |
|
France |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance |
The budget of CNDA continued to be increased to reduce the length of procedures at second instance. |
FR LEG 13 2019 |
|
Bulgaria |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance |
Amendments to the Law on Foreigners provide for a temporary automatic suspensive effect of an appeal against an expulsion order based on national-security grounds, containing “substantiated allegations” of important risk of death or ill treatment in the destination country. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Finland |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to assess protection needs |
The Smart Border package was submitted to the parliament, bringing new technological means of processing at the border, concerning specifically the Aliens Act and other relevant legislative provisions. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Greece |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
Law No 4825/2021 adjusted some of the provisions related to the delivery of travel documents to beneficiaries of international protection. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Lithuania |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Legal assistance and representation |
Amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens clarified the scope of free legal assistance as covering solely asylum procedures at the national level and thus excluding cases submitted before European courts. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Slovakia |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Legal assistance and representation |
A draft amendment to the Asylum Act and other related acts was adopted and put to public consultation, listing services available to asylum applicants. The amendments are expected to enter into force in June 2022. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Spain |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
A Royal Decree was introduced to facilitate the process of granting residence and work permits for unaccompanied children in Spain. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Belgium |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance |
CALL launched a digital tool on 1 March 2022, entitled J-BOX, to exchange procedural documents electronically instead of using registered mail. The use of the tool became mandatory in appeals for accelerated and urgent measures. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Estonia |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
The new Victim Support Act entered into force, which aims to further improve the availability and quality of victim support services, for example for victims of human trafficking. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Netherlands |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
Further clarifications were provided for the assessment of family reunification for beneficiaries of international protection. For example, the fact that the family members were not named during the asylum procedure is not in itself a ground to reject family reunification, but it can be taken into account when assessing the actual family link. For foster children, the biological parents' identity and the foster parent's family link to the biological parents always need to be clarified. When the biological parents are still present, the link between a foster child and foster parents can only be recognised for family reunification under very exceptional circumstances. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |