|
Greece |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
The Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Social Solidarity in Greece issued several ministerial decisions throughout the year related to the registry of professional guardianship, guardian selection criteria, training and the procedures for the assessment and determination of the best interests of the child. |
EL LEG 06 2019, EL LEG 07 2019, EL LEG 08 2019, EL LEG 09 2019 |
|
Sweden |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
The Swedish Migration Agency published new instructions on handling LGBTI cases and changed its system on assessing these cases. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Lithuania |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
A newly-built dormitory opened for a maximum of 15 vulnerable persons at the Foreigners’ Registration Centre of the State Border Guard Service. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Sweden |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
In preparation for the entry into force of the UN CRC Act (2018:1197) on 1 January 2020, the Swedish Migration Agency developed guidelines on assessing the best interests of the child in accordance with Article 3 of the UN CRC, trained around 500 case officers and 40 head of units in children's rights, and developed a technical tool supporting the determination of the best interests of the child. It also developed new guidelines on the placement of unaccompanied minor applicants assigned to a municipality. Information on the asylum procedure was developed specially for children aged 7 to 12 years, available through a mobile application. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Belgium |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
The staff of two Fedasil reception centres underwent intensive training on restorative practices, developed by the Oranjehuis NGO, to prevent conflicts between unaccompanied minors and staff, provide sustainable measures for minors and reduce the need for disciplinary transfers. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Netherlands |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
Major changes were implemented for applicants in the Dublin procedure who claimed to be victims of human trafficking. This group of applicants will now only receive the special temporary residence permit for victims of human trafficking if their presence is considered to be essential for the investigation and prosecution of the case, and the Netherlands as a consequence only takes responsibility for their application if that is the case. |
NL LEG 05 2019 |
|
Latvia |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
80 State Border Guard officers participated in training on unaccompanied minors and other vulnerable persons applying or not applying for asylum (upgraded training programme), “Profiling, interviewing and identification”. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Belgium |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
The CGRS continued training protection officers and supervisors who were joining the minors team, and informative sessions were organised to all new protection officers. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Finland |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
The AMIF-funded Competent Representative (Osaava edustaja) project was launched, developing online training for representatives of unaccompanied minors. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Belgium |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
The Guardianship Service continued with an AMIF-funded project to develop a methodology for monitoring guardians and the assessment of the best interests of minors and worked on improving communications with all stakeholders. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
France |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
OFPRA offered extensive training for senior protection officers on sexual orientation and gender identity. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Malta |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
The Head of the Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seeker (AWAS) may be appointed as a legal guardian for unaccompanied minors with an interim care order, in order to prevent delays. |
MT LEG 01 2019 |
|
Hungary |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
Government Decree 277/2018 (XII. 21.) entered into force, modifying Government Decree 114/2007 (V. 24.), which clarified the types of administrative actions that the Aliens Police can carry out in the absence of a legal guardian when the applicant is an unaccompanied minor. |
HU LEG 01 2019 |
|
Sweden |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
The Swedish Migration Agency created an online training for its staff on gender-based violence within the asylum procedure. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Bulgaria |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
Weekly meetings were organised with unaccompanied minors who are subject to proceedings under the Dublin III Regulation. At these meetings, unaccompanied minors are regularly informed of the steps that have been taken regarding their Dublin procedure and of the expected outcome of this procedure. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Czech Republic |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
The Department for Asylum and Migration Policy of the Ministry of Interior launched a pilot project using non-medical methods for age assessment. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Croatia |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
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 |
|
Lithuania |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
Training on working with unaccompanied minors was offered to reception centre staff. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Sweden |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
Since 1 January 2019, Sweden does not recognise the validity of child marriages from abroad, so the agency updated its standards for handling cases related to married child applicants and developed relevant information material in collaboration with the National Board of Health and Welfare. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Norway |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
The authorities in Norway launched the website, Asylbarn, dedicated specifically for children in the asylum procedure. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Netherlands |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
The IND launched a special project and hired additional staff to reduce the backlog in applications from unaccompanied minors and shorten the overall length of the asylum procedure. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
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 |
|
Croatia |
2019 |
Institutional |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
A Governmental Inter-Agency Committee for the Protection of Unaccompanied Children was established. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Belgium |
2019 |
Policy |
|
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 |
|
Finland |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
A guide was published for case workers on domestic violence in the context of asylum. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |