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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 Sort descending Development Source
United Kingdom United Kingdom 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The third edition of the Indicators of Integration framework was published. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Denmark Flag Denmark 2019 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection An amendment was made to the criteria for assessing derivative circumstances for cessation, and residence permits of refugees and their family members may be revoked in a wider range of circumstances. DK LEG 01 2019
Belgium Flag Belgium 2021 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The French-speaking Brussels Community Commission – the francophone government of Brussels – announced that the city’s integration programme became mandatory on 1 January 2022, and those who fail to comply receive a fine. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Greece Flag Greece 2021 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Law No 4825/2021 amended the grounds for revoking or refusing to renew refugee status and clarified the steps of this procedure. The amendments also underline the authority’s responsibility to provide an individualised reasoning for the decision to revoke the status or to refuse to renew it. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Norway Flag Norway 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Directorate for Integration and Diversit published a report on municipality expenditure on supporting the integration of refugees. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Iceland Flag Iceland 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection Family reunification requests from Afghan residents were treated with priority in 2021. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Federal Council adopted its opinion on a report by the Political Institutions Committee of the Council of States concerning a parliamentary initiative on granting the same family reunification regimes to beneficiaries of international protection and persons with temporary admission. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Portugal Flag Portugal 2020 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection A provisional regularisation process was launched in Portugal, settling the situation of around 365,000 foreigners, including asylum applicants. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2020 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection An amendment from 2018 to the Asylum Act entered into force on 1 April 2020, which enables the State Secretariat for Migration to pronounce a general travel ban for a group of refugees from a certain country of origin (particularly to neighbouring countries of that country of origin), if there is a well-founded doubt that the travel ban to the country of origin is not respected. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Legislative Decree No 130/2020 opened labour market access to beneficiaries of national forms of protection based on medical reasons or due to natural disasters. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Iceland Flag Iceland 2022 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The parliament adopted a resolution for the implementation of an action plan for immigration issues for 2022-2025. Based on the resolution, a steering group was established to formulate a comprehensive integration strategy, with a focus on labour market integration. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Italy Flag Italy 2022 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The National Association of Employment Agencies and four trade unions signed an agreement to facilitate the labour market integration of beneficiaries of international protection and of national forms of protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Ireland Flag Ireland 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The government published the mid-term review of the Migrant Integration Strategy 2017-2020. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Latvia Flag Latvia 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Ministry of Culture in Latvia launched language clubs, co-funded by AMIF, in five cities. The Latvian Language Agency developed new e?learning material (e-Laipa) for A1 and A2 levels. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Germany Flag Germany 2019 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The scope of tolerated status related to education was extended and includes education and training for care services (Helfer- und Assistenzausbildungen) in occupations with shortages of employees. Tolerated persons receive a two-year residence permit if they directly continue to work upon completing their education. DE LEG 06 2019
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The new Civic Integration Law entered into force on 1 January 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2021 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Amendments to the Swiss Federal Act on Foreigners and Integration were adopted, imposing a general travel ban on persons with temporary admission as of 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection A new policy was launched to naturalise approximately 8,000-10,000 persons who were regularised earlier, the so-called RANOV permit holders. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Sweden Flag Sweden 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Swedish government decided to finance the extension of labour market integration programmes for 12 months to support people whose programme would finish in the midst of the pandemic EASO Asylum Report 2021
Austria Flag Austria 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The number of withdrawals initiated by the BFA continued to increase. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Denmark Flag Denmark 2022 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Legislative amendments proposed to deport foreigners who are sentenced to an unconditional prison sentence, regardless of the duration of their stay in the country. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Italy Flag Italy 2020 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Labour market access was granted to persons under humanitarian protection for medical reasons or due to natural disasters. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2022 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection A draft amendment to the Asylum Act and other related acts was adopted and put to public consultation, defining and regulating the initial integration of beneficiaries of international protection. The amendments are expected to enter into force in June 2022. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Greece Flag Greece 2022 Policy Content of protection Content of protection A Ministerial Decision provided that the prescription of medicines, therapeutic operations and diagnostic examinations for patients without health insurance (many of them beneficiaries of international protection) is possible only by doctors of public hospitals and primary health care structures, not private doctors. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2022 Institutional Content of protection Content of protection The Federal Council approved financial support for integration measures, including contributions to cantonal programmes which promote employment. EUAA Asylum Report 2023