|
Greece |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
A Joint Ministerial Decision was issued on age assessments, foreseeing the establishment of a Unit of Medical Examination and Psychosocial Support in Reception and Identification Centres and Temporary Reception or Accommodation structures where the age assessment procedures is carried out. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Iceland |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to process asylum applications |
A draft law would add a new Article 35a defining subsequent applications and noting that negative decisions for subsequent applications are automatically reviewed by the Immigration Appeals Board, unless the applicant specifically request otherwise. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Bulgaria |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to process asylum applications |
Amendments updated the definitions for the terms 'safe country of origin' and 'safe third country' and additional guarantees were added in the law, as foreseen in the recast Asylum Procedures Directive. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Cyprus |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance |
An amendment clarified that an appeal against a rejection of the asylum application together with a return, removal or expulsion order has suspensive effect. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Estonia |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Return of former applicants |
The criteria for the risk of absconding when a return decision is issued were clarified. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Lithuania |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
An amendment to the Law on the Legal Status of Foreigners granted applicants the right to work if the Migration Department had not taken a decision on their application within six months of the lodging and the applicants were not responsible for the delay. |
LT LEG 02 2019 |
|
Norway |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Return of former applicants |
A legislative proposal was introduced for a national legal basis for a forced return monitoring system, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Return Directive. |
NO LEG 03 2019 |
|
Germany |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
The law facilitates access to vocational training for all persons with a right to work in Germany, regardless of the initial residence circumstances of the person concerned. |
DE LEG 04 2019 |
|
Greece |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
The length of residence permits for beneficiaries of subsidiary protection was decreased to one year (from three years), renewable for two years. |
EL LEG 05 2019 |
|
Lithuania |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
The Dublin procedure |
The transfer of asylum applicants to the responsible Dublin state became the task of the State Border Guard Service. |
LT LEG 01 2019 |
|
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 |
|
Finland |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
The start and end point of an applicant’s right to work was clarified. |
FI LEG 01 2019 |
|
Germany |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Access to procedure |
Fingerprinting became obligatory for all applicants aged 6 years and older. The age range for fingerprints was 14 years and older. |
DE LEG 01 2019 |
|
Croatia |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
Amendments were drafted to the Act on International and Temporary Protection, with the aim of aligning national legislation with the recast Asylum Procedures Directive. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Finland |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Legal assistance and representation |
Free legal aid was made available to all applicants for international protection during an interview, not only to vulnerable groups. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Hungary |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Access to procedure |
The special conditions to submit an asylum application which were introduced by the Hungarian government in May 2020 were extended until 31 December 2022. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Luxembourg |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
An amended law entered into force in June 2021 allowing beneficiaries of international protection to apply for family reunification with facilitated conditions for 6 months from being granted the status. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Slovenia |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to assess protection needs |
Amendments to the International Protection Act (IPA) now allow the competent authority to decide on the admissibility of an application at the border or in a transit area if a person expresses an intention to apply for international protection. The time limit for a decision in the border procedure was extended from 2 weeks to 3 weeks. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Sweden |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to assess protection needs |
A list of safe countries of origin was adopted, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile, Georgia, Kosovo, Mongolia, Northern Macedonia and Serbia. |
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 |
|
Germany |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
The legal framework on social benefits was revised for German nationals and beneficiaries of international protection. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Sweden |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to process asylum applications |
The Swedish Parliament adopted the government's proposal from December 2020 to incorporate the rules on safe countries of origin in the Aliens Act. The new rules allow the Swedish Migration Agency to consider an application manifestly unfounded if the applicant comes from a country included in the list. The amendments enter into force on 1 May 2021. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Italy |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
The Dublin procedure |
A new circular clarifying the connection between an application for a special protection permit (a national form of protection) and the Dublin procedure was published. It states that an application for special protection should be deemed inadmissible if the applicant has also applied for international protection and is involved in a pending Dublin procedure. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |