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
France Flag France 2024 Policy Content of protection Content of protection In principle, OFPRA no longer requires the family reference form, which was used to establish the civil status of the beneficiary and to confirm their family situation. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
France Flag France 2024 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants A new decree readjusted the share of responsibilities between the minister and the prefectures for return orders. It also streamlined the organisation of return commissions, specified the procedures to summon, before these commissions, a third-country national seeking the abrogation of a return decision, and increased the maximum number of check-ins (at a police station) of those under house arrest prior to their return. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
France Flag France 2024 Legislative Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The new Law for Controlling Immigration and Improving Integration prohibits the detention of families with minors. Other means, such as house arrest, can be applied. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
France Flag France 2024 Legislative Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups A decree was adopted laying down the procedures for the medical examination of cases of female genital mutilation and cutting (FGM/C). EUAA Asylum Report 2025
France Flag France 2024 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure A new decree adapted the regulatory provisions on house arrest and the administrative detention of applicants. It expanded the length of the initial detention period without a judicial order and the maximum period for house arrest. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Finland Flag Finland 2024 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The Finnish Immigration Service set up a monitoring programme for the system of assistance to victims of human trafficking. The aim is to ensure that steering and monitoring are systematic and transparent. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Finland Flag Finland 2024 Institutional Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Finnish Immigration Service reformed its organisational structure with the objective of ensuring the seamless processing of applications for different types of permits, in addition to reinforcing contingency planning and preparedness in a changed operating environment. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Finland Flag Finland 2024 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The Integration Act was amended to transfer integration responsibilities from the state to municipalities. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Finland Flag Finland 2024 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The Citizenship Act was amended to tighten the requirements for citizenship and encourage migrants to integrate into society. The required period of residence to apply for citizenship was extended from 5 to 8 years, except when applicants meet the language requirement, in which case the period is reduced to 5 years. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Finland Flag Finland 2024 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The government submitted a proposal to amend the Aliens Act aiming to expand the effective use of entry bans and to make returns more efficient. The amendments will enter into force on 6 May 2025. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Finland Flag Finland 2024 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The Aliens Act was amended to reduce the length of a residence permit for beneficiaries of international protection to the minimum allowed by EU law. A first residence permit for refugees is reduced to 3 years, and for beneficiaries of subsidiary protection, reduced to 1 year. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Finland Flag Finland 2024 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The President approved the Act on Temporary Measures to Combat Instrumentalised Migration. It provides the conditions under which the government can decide in a plenary session to restrict the reception of applications for international protection in a specific border area and to prevent third-country nationals from entering the country in an irregular manner. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Finland Flag Finland 2024 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The Aliens Act was amended to introduce the border procedure. This will expedite the examination of applications that are likely to be unfounded and the return of applicants who receive a negative decision. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Finland Flag Finland 2024 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure The government submitted a proposal to amend the Aliens Act to extend the maximum duration of detention and add a new ground for detention. The amendments will enter into force on 6 May 2025. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Finland Flag Finland 2024 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The Aliens Act was amended to implement stricter rules on the end of the right to work for rejected applicants. In accelerated procedures or for inadmissible applications, the right to work will end on the day that the decision is served. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Finland Flag Finland 2024 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The government submitted a proposal to amend the Aliens Act to introduce stricter conditions for family reunification, such as a minimum age of 21 for both spouses when they are third-country nationals, a requirement of sufficient financial resources for parents reuniting with their unaccompanied child and a minimum period of residence for sponsors who have been granted international protection. The period of residence does not apply if the family was formed before the sponsor arrived in Finland, before being accepted as a quota refugee or before having received refugee status as a family member. The amendments have not yet come into force. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Finland Flag Finland 2024 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection The Integration Act will be complemented by regulations which provide for multilingual social orientation on the values and norms of Finnish society, individual rights and obligations, and employment. In addition, they provide for remuneration for representatives of an unaccompanied child applicant. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Finland Flag Finland 2024 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Finnish Immigration Service announced the suspension of processing of applications from Syrian nationals. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Finland Flag Finland 2024 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection Applicants and former applicants can no longer obtain a residence permit based on employment, self-employment or studies in an effort to prevent the use of the asylum procedure for work and study purposes. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Finland Flag Finland 2024 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The Finnish Immigration Service announced an increase of the income threshold for residential permits relating to family reunification. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Finland Flag Finland 2024 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Finnish Immigration Services completed a tender to procure IT services for the agency. The aim is to improve the digital case management system. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Finland Flag Finland 2024 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Finnish Immigration Service reduced reception and spending allowances for applicants and victims of human trafficking. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Finland Flag Finland 2024 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions The government approved a resettlement quota of 500 people for 2025. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Finland Flag Finland 2024 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Finnish Immigration Service decreased accommodation places by discontinuing contracts for additional reception centres and reducing the number of places in reception. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Finland Flag Finland 2024 Policy Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation The Finnish Immigration Service announced that legal counsels can only participate remotely in personal interviews if the method of participation meets security requirements and does not pose a risk to confidentiality. Exceptions from these rules were allowed temporarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic. EUAA Asylum Report 2025