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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 Sort descending Source
Iceland Flag Iceland 2022 Institutional Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A temporary Council of Ministers for Immigrants and Refugees was appointed by proposal of the Prime Minister and approval of the government. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2019 Policy Country of origin information Country of origin information A three-year project to update the information portal of the Asylum Division of the Migration Department was completed. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Finland Flag Finland 2020 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure A working group has been set up to draw up a new act to assist victims of human trafficking. The working group's mandate runs until the end of 2022. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2021 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure A working group was established to better coordinate mechanisms for the identification of and support to applicants with special needs and vulnerabilities. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure A “detention for non-cooperation” (Mitwirkungshaft) of 14 days was introduced, enforceable against foreigners who do not cooperate in the establishment of their identity in the framework of return. DE LEG 03 2019
Iceland Flag Iceland 2021 Institutional Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance According to a new decree, the Ministry of Social Affairs would be mandated to provide reception conditions to applicants and integration services to beneficiaries of international protection, while the Directorate of Immigration (operating under the Ministry of Justice) continues to be responsible for the examination of applications for international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Norway Flag Norway 2020 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure According to the amended Immigration Regulations, the UDI and UNE are given access to obtain necessary information from the child welfare service for the purpose of case processing. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Slovenia Flag Slovenia 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Additional staff were hired to tackle the pending backlog of cases and shorten delays in the asylum procedure. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Adult applicants without children are required to live in an initial reception centre for a maximum period of 18 months (federal states may decide to extend this period to 24 months). The previous law defined a 6-month maximum period. DE LEG 03 2019
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection Afghan evacuees were provided with a special temporary residence permit, allowing the newcomers to apply for international protection later once in the country. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Germany Flag Germany 2022 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions After a 3-year pilot, the Neustart im Team (NesT) programme for community sponsorship was consolidated. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2022 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance After the conclusion of the pilot project “Written Interviews” (schriftelijk horen), the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) initiated another pilot offering written interviews to Syrian, Turkish and Yemeni nationals (“Paper and Ink procedure”). EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection After the declaration of the state of emergency all centres were transformed to provide accommodation for applicants under the accelerated procedure, with strict limitations on freedom of movement. Filming, photographing and sound recordings were prohibited in accommodation centres, access to the facilities was restricted, and gatherings in centres were limited. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Malta Flag Malta 2020 Legislative Special procedures to process asylum applications Special procedures to process asylum applications Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia were added to the list of safe countries of origin. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection All applicants became entitled to participate in an integration course after nine months of stay and they will have access to employment-related language courses after having registered as job seeker at the federal employment agency. This opportunity was previously reserved for applicants with high chances of recognition. Tolerated persons may participate in employment-related German courses after six months of tolerated stay. DE LEG 04 2019
Belgium Flag Belgium 2019 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups All new protection officers at the CGRS were trained on gender in the asylum procedure and a specialised training course was provided for more experienced protection officers and supervisors on cases involving gender-related grounds. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Sweden Flag Sweden 2021 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection All new residence permits became temporary, with the exception of resettled refugees. Permanent residence can be obtained after a minimum of 3 years in the country, and as a general rule, adults applying have to be able to support themselves and their dependant relatives and have decent housing. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
France Flag France 2019 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Amendments are planned to be introduced to health care coverage: applicants would no longer have access to the universal health care insurance (PUMA) until after three months of residence in the country. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2020 Legislative Interpretation services Interpretation services Amendments clarified that an applicant has the right to free oral interpretation related to the asylum application. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants Amendments entered into force allowing the Head of the Asylum Office to issue a deportation or removal order jointly with a negative decision when deciding on an application for international protection. Both decisions, which are no longer separate administrative acts, can be challenged before the International Protection Administrative Court and the suspensive effect may be automatic. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2019 Legislative Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Amendments entered into force to replace the former facility for minors with centres for children and family. SK LEG 02 2019
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants Amendments introduced that all decisions rejecting requests for international protection should include a return provision. If another return or deportation order is already in force, it must be incorporated in the decision rejecting the application and ordering the return. The period of voluntary departure was shortened to 25 days, which may be extended up to 120 days. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2021 Legislative Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation Amendments to LASi provide for access to free legal counselling or representation after an asylum applicant has been transferred to a canton if the services were received while accommodated in a federal centre. The legislative amendment is expected to enter into force in 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Estonia Flag Estonia 2020 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Amendments to the Act on Granting International Protection to Aliens clarified that the rejection decision includes a return decision and a prohibition on entry for 3 years. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Denmark Flag Denmark 2021 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Amendments to the Aliens Act and the Return Act foresee the possibility to transfer suddenly-arrived asylum seekers to a partner country outside of the EU to process their asylum applications and subsequently provide protection to those in need. EUAA Asylum Report 2022