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
Norway Flag Norway 2023 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Norway announced an assistance programme to support Ukrainians in finding employment rapidly to allow them to support themselves during their stay. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Norway Flag Norway 2023 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Scaling up the reception capacity continued, and agreements were concluded for additional ordinary reception centres and emergency accommodation places. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Norway Flag Norway 2023 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The UDI suspended the examination of applications lodged by Sudanese applicants. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Norway Flag Norway 2023 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A new instruction to the UDI from the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness in May 2023 provided further guidance for the processing of applications for women and girls from Afghanistan, stressing the need for an individual assessment of cases. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Norway Flag Norway 2023 Policy Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness amended the Immigration Regulations in September 2023 to strengthen the right to a hearing before the UNE in specific cases. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Norway Flag Norway 2023 Policy Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The UNE updated its practice note on the assessment of persecution based on sexual orientation. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Norway Flag Norway 2023 Policy Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The UNE suspended the examination of appeals lodged by Sudanese nationals due to the outbreak of war in Sudan. The examination of appeals and the suspension of the obligation to leave for Sudan were lifted in November 2023. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Norway Flag Norway 2023 Policy Content of protection Content of protection Ukrainians who return to Ukraine risk having their protection status revoked. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2023 Institutional Access to procedure icon Access to procedure Additional staff were deployed for the identification and registration process to address a backlog of asylum applications. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2023 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The IND stopped a pilot project on written interviews following a parliamentary motion. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2023 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A decision and departure moratorium was introduced for applicants from Sudan in July 2023. The decision was extended for an additional 6 months in December 2023. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2023 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A decision and departure moratorium was introduced for applicants from Palestine in December 2023. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2023 Policy Access to information Access to information The IND started to modernise the digital system so that the latest information is rapidly available, such as the status of an application and when a decision is expected. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2023 Policy Access to information Access to information COA produced a new video (in Dutch) in which staff present their daily work and describe how accommodation, daily life and support are organised for unaccompanied children. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2023 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions The government restarted resettlements from Türkiye in June 2023 in the framework of the EU-Turkey Agreement, following some measures which were implemented in reception. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2023 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups For unaccompanied children turning 18 with a residence permit, the Dutch Nidos may now offer extended care and these children may stay with their reception family or a small-scale reception facility. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2023 Policy Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The Dutch authorities made adjustments to the application process for family members arriving in the Netherlands through family reunification with a beneficiary of international protection, with reunified family members required to register at Zevenaar and no longer in Ter Apel. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2023 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure New process availability facilities (proces beschikbaarheidslocaties, PBL) were piloted to swiftly process Dublin cases and efficiently implement transfers. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2023 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure Authorities set up a pilot project whereby a special team processes the cases of applicants with a certain profile, including those with disruptive behaviour in the Dublin procedure. The IND processes their cases in an accelerated manner and the Repatriation and Departure Service prioritises their Dublin transfers. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2023 Legislative Statelessness in the context of asylum Statelessness in the context of asylum In June 2023, the Dutch Parliament passed a legislative package pertaining to statelessness. The Statelessness Determination Procedure Act established a new procedure and an amendment to the Dutch Nationality Act provides stateless children born in the Netherlands with a pathway to Dutch nationality. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2023 Institutional Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Reception arrangements were adjusted to accommodate more applicants. The Expo Hall in Assen was converted from an emergency shelter to a waiting area for newly-arrived asylum seekers in Ter Apel until October 2023. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2023 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Council of Ministers agreed to more stable funding for the reception agency, allowing COA to maintain a fixed reception capacity of 41,000 places. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2023 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The IND piloted additional quality checks on positive decisions. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2023 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection COA established a recurrent satisfaction survey with its residents, repeated every 2 years. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2023 Policy Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The IND began the process of reviewing digital solutions to reduce the number of in-person appointments by asylum applicants and residence permit holders. EUAA Asylum Report 2024