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
Latvia Flag Latvia 2024 Policy Access to information Access to information The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs launched a new information and communication campaign to raise awareness about the asylum process and applicants’ rights and obligations. It includes activities in reception centres aiming to bring together locals and residents. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Latvia Flag Latvia 2024 Policy Access to procedure icon Access to procedure Five administrative regions started to implement the enhanced border protection regime. Consequently, people seeking international protection can only apply at official border-crossing points. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions Through humanitarian admission programmes, Italy transferred victims of torture and ill treatment from Libya, refugee students through university corridors, Afghans and Palestinians. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Institutional Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The Ministry of Labour and Social Policies took on new duties related to unaccompanied minors in the asylum system. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Policy Access to information Access to information The National Commission for the Right to Asylum updated its practical guide for international protection applicants, with translations in 14 languages. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Following the publication in June 2023 of the vademecum on identification, referral and care of persons with vulnerabilities, specific activities were launched in 2024, for example seminars and refresher courses. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups A protocol was signed to prevent the disappearance of unaccompanied foreign minors. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection New tender specifications for reception services were issued. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Policy Detention Detention during the asylum procedure New tender specifications for pre-removal detention centres (CPRs) were issued. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The Italy-Albania protocol was ratified, which set up a mechanism and the conditions under which Italy would carry out the processing of asylum applications under Italian jurisdiction in designated areas of Albanian territory for third-country nationals originating from the list of safe countries of origin and who are rescued or intercepted in international water by vessels of Italian authorities. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Law No 187/2024 converting Decree Law No 158/2024 reduced the timeframe to appeal a rejected asylum application to 7 days. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Legislation was amended to adjust the rules requiring certain applicants to pay a bail of EUR 2,500-5,000 as an alternative to detention pending the outcome of their asylum application. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Decree Law No 158/2024 introduced the possibility to challenge suspension decisions of first instance courts before the Court of Appeal. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Legislative Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Decree No 98/2024 established procedures for the initial interview of minors upon arrival at a reception centre. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The list of safe countries of origin was first updated by a ministerial decree and then included in primary norm by Decree Law No 158/2024. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The state of emergency was extended for 2025, as a consequence of the exceptional increase in the flow of migrants entering the country through the Mediterranean migratory routes. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Law No 187/2024 converting Decree Law No 158/2024 allowed a deferred refusal of entry order to be issued to applicants who are traced during surveillance activities at the external borders, including as a result of search and rescue operations, and are taken to areas designated for carrying out a border procedure. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups A new project was launched to promote family foster care placements. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services The National Commission for the Right to Asylum, in cooperation with UNHCR and the EUAA, produced a handbook for interpreters involved in the international protection procedure in territorial commissions. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Ireland Flag Ireland 2024 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The IPO now carries out a vulnerability triage assessment to identify the health needs of applicants who have not been accommodated. The aim is to provide the International Protection Accommodation Services and the Health Service Executive with relevant information to recommend priority cases for accommodation allocation. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Ireland Flag Ireland 2024 Policy Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The International Protection Office (IPO) introduced a new category of applicants who qualify for the accelerated procedure, namely those originating from the two countries with the highest number of applicants in the previous 3 months. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Ireland Flag Ireland 2024 Policy Access to information Access to information The IPAT published a new video in its website to inform applicants on second instance procedures. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Ireland Flag Ireland 2024 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The government presented a new Comprehensive Accommodation Strategy for applicants for international protection. It aims to address current gaps in accommodation and reform the system over the long term, for example by moving away from a full reliance on private service providers towards state-owned accommodation. This includes the provision of 14,000 state-owned beds using prefabricated and modular units, converting commercial buildings, targeted purchase of medium and larger turnkey properties, designing and building new centres and upgrading existing ones. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Ireland Flag Ireland 2024 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Department of Justice announced a EUR 25 million budget expenditure for immigration. It includes a EUR 5 million investment in digital innovations to modernise immigration systems, reduce processing times, increase returns and strengthen border security. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Ireland Flag Ireland 2024 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Department of Social Protection started reducing or suspending some applicants’ daily allowances when they met an income threshold. EUAA Asylum Report 2025