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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 Sort descending Country Year Type of development Thematic area Development Source
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
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2022 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The list of safe countries of origin was revised and Ukraine was removed from the list. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Croatia Flag Croatia 2019 Legislative Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions A new decision was issued on the resettlement of third country nationals and stateless persons. HR LEG 02 2019
Croatia Flag Croatia 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection Beneficiaries of international protection were granted 280 hours of state-provided language courses. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Croatia Flag Croatia 2019 Policy Content of protection Content of protection Coordinators were appointed to social welfare centres and branch offices to provide support in accessing social welfare and, more broadly, in fostering inclusion in the local community. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Croatia Flag Croatia 2022 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The government adopted a decision to develop the National Plan for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings 2022-2027. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Croatia Flag Croatia 2019 Institutional Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups A Governmental Inter-Agency Committee for the Protection of Unaccompanied Children was established. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Croatia Flag Croatia 2019 Institutional Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Croatian Ministry of the Interior formed the Directorate for Immigration, Citizenship and Administrative Affairs, including the Sector for Foreigners and International Protection, which is divided into a Service for Foreigners, a Service for International protection (responsible for the International Protection Section, Dublin Procedure Section and the Integration Section) and a Service for the Reception and Accommodation of Applicants for International Protection (responsible for reception centres in Zagreb and Kutina). EASO Asylum Report 2020
Croatia Flag Croatia 2022 Policy Access to procedure icon Access to procedure In continuation of a previous monitoring mechanism, a new agreement was signed to develop an independent framework to monitor the conduct of police personnel in the Ministry of the Interior who work in the area of irregular migration and international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2023
Croatia Flag Croatia 2019 Policy Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation The AMIF project, “Providing legal advice in the process of granting international protection”, was implemented as of 1 April 2019. EASO Asylum Report 2020
Croatia Flag Croatia 2021 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance 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
Croatia Flag Croatia 2020 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Croatia is developing and implementing a new IT application (RECORD) with AMIF funding that aims to improve the quality of collecting, managing, processing, monitoring and reporting data in the field of international protection. Funds for the implementation of the project proposal were approved on 23 November 2020. Iin April 2021, the technical specifications for the project were being drafted. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Croatia Flag Croatia 2020 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Amendments to the Aliens Act extended the scope of persons who can receive a temporary resedence permit on humanitarian grounds. These persons have the right to work without an additional work permit or authorisation, to attend vocational training and enrol in education. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Croatia Flag Croatia 2021 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Croatia introduced specific policies for the vaccination of asylum applicants, specifying that vaccines are free of charge, on a voluntary basis and by registration to receive an appointment. EUAA Asylum Report 2022
Croatia Flag Croatia 2020 Policy Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation The AMIF-funded project, Free legal assistance in the process of granting international protection was approved in July 2020 to provide asylum seekers without sufficient funds with access to legal assistance, which consists of: assistance in drawing up a claim, representation in first instance administrative disputes and an exemption from payment of the costs of first instance administrative disputes. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Croatia Flag Croatia 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection A new 3-year project for the integration of refugees into Croatian society was approved by the Directorate for European Affairs, International Relations and European Union Funds in early March 2020. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Croatia Flag Croatia 2020 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Croatian Action Plan for the Integration of Persons Granted International Protection was developed in 2020 and is foreseen to be implemented throughout 2021-2023. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Croatia Flag Croatia 2020 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services The AMIF-funded project, Translation services during providing assistance in the integration process was ongoing. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Croatia Flag Croatia 2020 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services The AMIF-funded project Translation and expansion of the network of translators in the process of granting international protection was launched, with 43 interpreters . EASO Asylum Report 2021
Croatia Flag Croatia 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The national authorities concluded standard operating procedures on sexual and gender-based violence with UNHCR and national NGOs towards the end of 2020, aiming to start implementation as soon as possible. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Croatia Flag Croatia 2020 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Through a new AMIF co-financed project, Enlargement of reception capacities of the Reception Centre for International Protection Applicants in Zagreb, the procurement of accommodation containers is planned to increase accommodation capacity of the facility. EASO Asylum Report 2021
Croatia Flag Croatia 2020 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions The AMIF-funded project, Establishment of a resettlement mechanism began its implementation in 2017. Until now, two study visits on resettlement programmes have been carried out. During 2020, a short video story was filmed about the integration process of a Syrian family who arrived to Croatia as a group of resettled persons from Turkey. The project also includes the development of a mobile application which provides information on the resettlement programme, arrival and daily life in Croatia. This activity is in its completion phase. EASO Asylum Report 2021