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
Poland Flag Poland 2025 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure Jurisdiction over decisions concerning the placement of foreign unaccompanied minors older than 15 years in foster care or in detention lies with the court of the child’s place of residence, not the court of the place where the child was apprehended. The role of the guardian was expanded to include representing the unaccompanied minor before administrative courts. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Poland Flag Poland 2025 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A provision that allowed for the full withdrawal of reception conditions for serious breaches of house rules was repealed. Clarifications were brought to the criteria to grant and suspend social assistance and medical care for applicants, as well as rules and safeguards for applicants residing outside of reception centres. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Poland Flag Poland 2025 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Deadlines for processing various residence permits and international protection procedures were suspended until March 2026 due to the migratory situation, precluding the possibility of lodging complaints for undue delays. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Poland Flag Poland 2025 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Article 14(4) of the recast QD was transposed, incorporating the possibility to revoke refugee status for individuals deemed to be a threat to national security or convicted of a serious crime. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Poland Flag Poland 2025 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Amendments to the Act on Foreigners allowed applications for temporary and permanent residence permits (including for beneficiaries of international protection) to be submitted electronically. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Poland Flag Poland 2025 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure Effective from March 2025, amendments to the Act on Granting Protection to Foreigners introduced the possibility to temporarily suspend access to the asylum procedure at the border in cases of instrumentalisation of third-country nationals, with exceptions for vulnerable applicants such as unaccompanied minors, pregnant women and those with medical needs. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Poland Flag Poland 2025 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants Amendments to the Act on Foreigners introduced changes to speed up return procedures. Foreigners are informed faster by email about the obligation to leave the territory. In addition, for the return, Polish authorities do not need to issue their own return decision when a return decision has been issued by another EU Member State. According to the new law, a return decision is issued to every foreigner listed in SIS, regardless of the residence status. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2025 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Amendments were adopted on the duration of social assistance payments when a person’s status changes from provisional admission to recognised refugee. The new rules account for the previous assistance, limiting the total federal reimbursement to 5 years. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2025 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The Swiss Federal Council proposed a bill banning asylum seekers, temporarily admitted persons and individuals under protection from travelling abroad. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2025 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The comprehensive national Asylum Strategy 2027 was presented jointly by the Swiss Confederation, cantons, cities and municipalities. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2025 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance SEM implemented a pilot project on analysing applicants’ electronic data, when a person’s identity, nationality or travel route cannot be otherwise verified. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2025 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection SEM announced a pilot project starting in summer 2026, whereby asylum seekers whose behaviour disrupts the functioning of a centre will be housed in a designated area within the same facility, with adapted security arrangements but equal access to activities and outings. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2025 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants SEM announced an adjustment to its asylum and deportation policy on Afghanistan. Starting in mid-April 2025, in certain exceptional cases, single Afghan men whose asylum applications were rejected could again be returned to Afghanistan under specific conditions. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2025 Legislative The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure The Swiss Federal Council adopted the negotiating mandate for Switzerland’s selective participation in the EU Solidarity Mechanism. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Switzerland Flag Switzerland 2025 Policy Content of protection Content of protection SEM launched a joint initiative with the association of Swiss higher education institutions to facilitate refugees’ access to higher education and address the country’s shortage in skilled labour. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Sweden Flag Sweden 2025 Policy Access to information Access to information The Swedish Migration Agency launched a new website. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Sweden Flag Sweden 2025 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The SMA launched a project (K.R.A.F.T.) to strengthen opportunities for skills developments for its staff, and thus, the agency’s overall adaptability and resilience. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Sweden Flag Sweden 2025 Policy Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Georgia was removed from the safe countries of origin list. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Sweden Flag Sweden 2025 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection As of 1 March 2025, all new applicants are allocated a place in an SMA facility where they are required to reside to be entitled to daily and special allowances. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Sweden Flag Sweden 2025 Institutional Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A number of SMA service centres closed, as the services are, instead, available at National Government Service centres, thus expanding SMA presence from 11 to 35 locations. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Sweden Flag Sweden 2025 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A new digital platform was developed for SMA case officers, which contains a monitoring tool to produce statistics on the progress of cases. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Sweden Flag Sweden 2025 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants A new government ordinance, in force as of January 2026, increased the financial incentive for voluntary repatriation. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Sweden Flag Sweden 2025 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants A legislative amendment was made to the Aliens Act to abolish the possibility of 'track change', which allowed rejected applicants who worked during the asylum procedure to apply – under certain conditions – for a residence permit without having to leave the country. The amendments also introduced new rules for the statute of limitations and re-entry bans, which are now valid for 5 years from the date the person can show that they did actually leave Sweden. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Sweden Flag Sweden 2025 Legislative Detention Legislative amendments to detention conditions introduced the possibility of using a wider range of security measures, when necessary, such as the possibility to body search visitors in detention centres and room searches of detainees' living areas. The additional security measures aim to make it possible to create a safer environment in the centres and to create possibilities to have a more open environment for detainees. EUAA Asylum Report 2026
Spain Flag Spain 2025 Legislative Applicants with special needs Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure The government approved Royal Decree-Law 2/2025, which establishes the possibility of urgent measures to guarantee the best interests of children and adolescents in extraordinary migration contingencies in Ceuta and the Canary Islands. EUAA Asylum Report 2026