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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 Source
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
Denmark Flag Denmark 2021 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection A special legislative piece provides temporary residence permits to persons who have assisted the Danish authorities and have been evacuated from Afghanistan. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Denmark Flag Denmark 2021 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The Return Act (Hjemrejseloven), the first consolidated law in the field of return, came into force on 1 June 2021. The mandate and responsibilities of the Danish Return Agency are formalised in the act. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Denmark Flag Denmark 2021 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants New legislation obliges applicants to undergo a medical examination for diseases and illnesses covered by the Danish Epidemic Act, e.g. COVID-19. If a returnee refuses to be tested, the Danish Return Agency can request the assistance of the police and the testing may, if necessary, be carried out with the use of force. The testing is always carried out by a health care professional. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Denmark Flag Denmark 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The Refugee Board suspended appeals when the situation in Afghanistan was critical but continued to address other aspects, such as age assessments and Dublin transfers. The processing of cases was resumed in December 2021. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Denmark Flag Denmark 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance In October 2021, the Danish Refugee Board decided to review cases for citizens of the Democratic Republic of the Congo who were about to be deported, in light of a report by the Swedish Migration Agency of 24 June 2021. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Denmark Flag Denmark 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The Refugee Board decided in December 2021 to suspend the processing of cases for Ethiopian nationals. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Denmark Flag Denmark 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection A new digital application was launched to allow family members other than spouses and children to apply online for family reunification. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Czech Flag Czech Republic 2021 Legislative Statelessness in the context of asylum Statelessness in the context of asylum Amendments to the Asylum Act and the Act on Stay of Foreigners stipulated that some provisions of the asylum procedure do not apply to the procedure for recognising statelessness, for example the appointment of a legal representative, having an oral hearing, and an appeal of the decision is not possible. However, the ministry provides an interpreter free of charge and issues a decision within 6 months of submitting the application (which can be extended by another 6 months for complex cases). EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Czech Flag Czech Republic 2021 Policy Content of protection Content of protection Third-country nationals, including beneficiaries of international protection who would like to obtain a long-term permanent residence after 5 years of continuous residence in Czechia, must take a Czech language exam at A2 level instead of A1. Persons issued a long-term residence permit must complete within a year a 4-hour integration course on their rights and obligations, fundamental values, everyday life, culture and traditions. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The list of safe countries of origin was updated, adding Armenia, Benin, Kenya, Kosovo, Moldova, Mongolia and Togo. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The Law on the Establishment and Operation of the Administrative Court was amended introducing an automatic suspensive effect for an appeal against a return decision, deportation order and removal order. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection New orders were issued by the Ministry of Labour, allowing applicants to start working before a formal decision is made on the work permit application. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The law on the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment was amended, formalising the practice that the Ombudsperson can visit freely, unhindered and unannounced any detention facility. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
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
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The Deputy Minister for Social Welfare, the Minister for Justice and the police signed a memorandum in Cyprus to strengthen cooperation for the referral and support to survivors of human trafficking. The national reception strategy also established assessments and referral mechanisms as core objectives. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The government took action toward increasing its reception capacity dedicated to unaccompanied children. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Institutional Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The reorganisation of the Asylum Service was ongoing, including the asylum administration and the ministry. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Institutional Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Asylum Service established new sectors which are responsible for the reception of applicants for international protection. The implementation and operationalisation of a reception allocation bureau was planned in the First Reception Centre Pournara to collect statistics, follow in- and outflow, and gather information on residences of applicants who are leaving the centre. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Policy Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The Cypriot Council of Ministers approved the establishment of an inter-ministerial committee mandated to suggest specific responses and management measures to address the emergency resulting from increased migration flows; a management unit with operational facilities; and a contingency plan for the irregular arrival of third-country nationals by sea or through the Green Line. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The asylum services prioritised applications submitted in detention and at police stations. Due to an increase of the number of applicants from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and from other African countries, Cyprus examined these applications with priority. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Policy Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Courts were added to the Computerized Asylum Service System (CASS) database and case files were incorporated in the system. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Authorities started working on the development of an overall integrated national reception strategy. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Applicants from a safe country of origin may be assigned to the Collective Reception and Accommodation Centre through an individual administrative act for an accelerated processing of their application. If they leave the centre, their material reception conditions may be reduced or, in exceptional and duly justified cases, withdrawn. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The registration of job seekers among asylum applicants and the renewal of their unemployment period moved online. EUAA Asylum Report 2022