|
Finland |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Legal assistance and representation |
People with a legal training but who are not qualified as public legal counsellors can no longer be assigned as legal assistants to third-country nationals in international protection procedures. Pay differences for legal assistants working on international protection cases were eliminated. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Ireland |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
The Minister for Transport intended to introduce an amendment to the Road Traffic and Roads Bill to put the government’s policy on a statutory basis and allow asylum applicants to apply for a driving license. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Luxembourg |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Return of former applicants |
Amendments were introduced to the amended Immigration Law of 2008 to ensure a more effective management of the removal of third-country nationals who are illegally residing in Luxembourg. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Slovenia |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to assess protection needs |
The time limit to lodge an appeal before the Administrative Court against a decision issued in the accelerated procedure was reduced from 8 days to 3 days. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Sweden |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
The Swedish government established an inquiry on an orderly initial reception of asylum seekers. The inquiry is tasked to propose measures to ensure that asylum seekers choose to live in the Swedish Migration Agency's accommodation throughout the asylum period, propose how a statutory obligation to participate in social introduction can be formulated, consider the scope of persons covered under the Law on Reception of Asylum Seekers and Others, and review the scope of benefits covered by this act. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Belgium |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
Integration programmes for newcomers became mandatory in Brussels, including for beneficiaries of international protection. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Netherlands |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Access to procedure |
The Aliens Circular set in law the practice that an applicant is under the duty to provide all information that might potentially influence the asylum application, which includes criminal past, acts that might fall under the Geneva Convention, Article 1F and any measures that other Member States might have imposed on the person. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Finland |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Statelessness in the context of asylum |
The Ministry of the Interior proposed amendments to the Nationality Act to update the definitions of a stateless person, in line with international treaties, eliminating the distinction between voluntarily stateless and involuntarily stateless person. However, the parliament did not manage to consider the proposal by the end of the electoral term (29 March 2023) and it was allowed to lapse. The next government will decide if the changes are proposed again. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Norway |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
Persons granted protection in Norway may obtain a long-term residence permit after 5 years, instead of the previous 3 years, following legislative amendments that entered into force in December 2020. The language knowledge requirement for naturalisation was increased from A2 to B1 level. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Greece |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to assess protection needs |
The list of safe countries of origin was updated and Ukraine was removed from the list. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Sweden |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
Changes to the national legislation introduce a departure ban for children who are at risk of being taken abroad for marriage or female genital mutilation. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Italy |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
A circular simplified the procedure for a refugee to marry in Italy: documentation from the country of origin is no longer needed. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Ireland |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
Some reception-related tasks were transferred from the Minister for Justice and Equality to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, including the provision, withdrawal or reduction of material reception conditions, information provision, the designation of accommodation centre and support for vulnerable persons. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Netherlands |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
The Dublin procedure |
The Minister for Migration announced that the Track 1 procedure, which was established for applicants in the Dublin procedure, would be standardised and made more efficient. In addition, applicants in the Dublin procedure are planned to be offered more moderate material reception conditions, in line with shorter processing times which are foreseen. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Italy |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Detention during the asylum procedure |
The amendments further clairfied detention conditions. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Slovakia |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
The Dublin procedure |
A new legal provision was adopted to provide for the suspension of a transfer decision when a third-country national under the Dublin procedure absconds. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Lithuania |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance |
The time limit for lodging an appeal against a decision in the accelerated procedure was reduced to 7 days. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Switzerland |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Detention during the asylum procedure |
Legislation was amended to allow for detention at the border for up to 3 days without a judicial review and without a written order. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Malta |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance |
The Refugee Appeals Board changed its name to International Protection Appeals Tribunal. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Greece |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
A Registry of Rapporteurs and Assistants for Case Officers in Asylum was created. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Hungary |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Access to procedure |
A new section and a new Article 32/Z was added to the Asylum Law: This allows the NDGAP to confiscate any object (for example, mobile phones, laptops) when the facts cannot be clarified otherwise, there would be a significant delay in clarifying the facts without confiscation or not seizing the object would jeopardise the success of the examination procedure. Previously the rules of the General Administrative Law defined the rules for seizure. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Iceland |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance |
The Immigration Appeals Board's rules of procedure were amended, defining practices that have emerged in the past 3 years. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Bulgaria |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to process asylum applications |
The court has to decide ex officio or at the request of the applicant on the right to stay during an appeal against the rejection of a subsequent application. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Cyprus |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance |
The time limits to lodge an appeal against a final decision of the Asylum Service in front of the Administrative Court for International Protection were amended: 30 days for the regular procedure and 15 days for the accelerated procedure. The time limits to launch an appeal against a decision of the International Protection Administrative Court was reduced to 14 days from 42 days. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Estonia |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Return of former applicants |
Compliance with a return decision issued to a minor or an adult foreigner with limited active legal capacity will be organised by a parent, guardian or other responsible adult person who is staying with the person in Estonia. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |