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
Portugal Flag Portugal 2025 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The procedure to submit a subsequent application for international protection was amended, introducing clearer rules on the responsibilities of different actors involved and timelines. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Portugal Flag Portugal 2025 Institutional Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The National Unit for Foreigners and Borders was created within the Public Security Police, with consolidated responsibilities for immigration control, border management, and enforcement of removal and expulsion orders. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Portugal Flag Portugal 2025 Institutional Detention Detention during the asylum procedure A decision was taken to establish a courtroom at Lisbon Airport, intended to facilitate judicial proceedings in proximity to the border area, including hearings without requiring transfers outside the international zone. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Portugal Flag Portugal 2025 Institutional The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure A Dublin unit was created within the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) to specifically handle Dublin cases and the transition to the AMMR system. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Portugal Flag Portugal 2025 Institutional Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The position of a Secretary of State for the Presidency and Immigration was established, being the first time that migration policies fall under a role explicitly dedicated to this area. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Portugal Flag Portugal 2025 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance AIMA applied a prioritised case management approach to Afghan applicants – with a particular focus on women and girls – introducing front-loaded assessments, earlier scheduling and, in the case of women and girls, omitting interviews when possible according to the conditions allowed by law. The objective was to align national practice with recent CJEU jurisprudence and UNHCR guidelines. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Portugal Flag Portugal 2025 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The government aligned first instance decision?making in the regular asylum procedure with the ministerial chain of competence foreseen in law, discontinuing the sub?delegation to AIMA’s Board and retaining delegation only to the Secretary of State. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Portugal Flag Portugal 2025 Policy Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The government rolled out a measure under its 2025 migration agenda to improve access to the asylum procedure. The measure included a new border?triage model and upgraded temporary facilities at external EU borders, aiming to ensure faster and more compliant first?line reception, registration and screening. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Norway Flag Norway 2025 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Immigration Appeals Board (UNE) established a dedicated team to handle asylum applications by Ukrainian nationals and renewals of collective protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Norway Flag Norway 2025 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The digitalisation of the entire migration sector continued in 2025 and legislative amendments were adopted to allow for the implementation of digital processes. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Norway Flag Norway 2025 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Family reunification rules were changed to prevent bigamy and avoid situations when a child was sent alone to the country and requested family reunification with the father and his multiple partners. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Norway Flag Norway 2025 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants New regulations strengthened the best interests of the child in expulsion cases. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Norway Flag Norway 2025 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The government introduced the new 2025–2030 return strategy. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Norway Flag Norway 2025 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The integration programme was revised to place more emphasis on employment orientation early on. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Norway Flag Norway 2025 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The government recommended that municipalities take account of their capacity to rapidly set up services after a settlement agreement is signed, evaluate the share of foreign residents in certain parts of the municipality, and assess labour and educational opportunities when allocating a beneficiary of international protection into a municipality. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Norway Flag Norway 2025 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Ministry of Justice and Public Security issued instructions for cases when a recognised refugee has travelled to their home country in violation of the conditions of their residence permit in Norway. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Norway Flag Norway 2025 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The guidance on applicants’ right to work was revised, clarifying that asylum seekers whose cases are on hold or suspended due to uncertain country conditions are no longer deemed highly likely to receive protection and thus lose eligibility for employment. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Norway Flag Norway 2025 Policy Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The UDI provided grants for child-focused activities in reception centres and delivered multiple training sessions for staff at the national arrival centre, including specialised modules on identifying and assisting victims of torture. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2025 Institutional Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The Identification and Screening Service for Asylum Seekers (DISA) became operational on 1 January 2025. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2025 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The minister proposed a ban on priority municipal housing for beneficiaries of international protection. The Parliament has not yet approved the draft law on the priority ban. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2025 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Residents in COA facilities who work or have their own financial resources must now pay a small contribution towards their healthcare costs. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2025 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Asylum Emergency Measures Act was adopted by the House of Representatives. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2025 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The process availability location (pbl) reopened in June 2025 in Ter Apel as part of a pilot project under the Process Availability Approach (pba). This approach consists of multiple escalation steps which could lead to the applicant being placed in a designated restricted location, the pbl. The target groups are applicants with a low chance of protection who cause multiple incidents with a medium impact or one incident with a major impact. Throughout the approach, the procedure of the applicants is prioritised, and they receive intensive support through daily programmes or educational sessions. If placed in the pbl, they could face detention when leaving the designated restricted area (which is not limited to the pbl location). The maximum stay in a pbl is 4 weeks. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2025 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The policy on the use of reimbursed taxis for applicants was revised and only permitted for acute medical situations. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2025 Policy Content of protection Content of protection A new application procedure was put in place for family reunification requests. The Dutch Refugee Council no longer provides guidance, but the IND developed more multi-lingual material, established a phone line and an IND info desk can support applicants with their application. EUAA Asylum Report 2026