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 2024 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The Directorate for Immigration offered grants to support activities for children in asylum reception centres, aiming to enhance their development, life skills and integration. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Norway Flag Norway 2024 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The Directorate for Immigration issued a new guideline on handling asylum cases of victims of torture. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Norway Flag Norway 2024 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The Directorate for Immigration issued a suspension on returns to Lebanon. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Norway Flag Norway 2024 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The Directorate for Immigration extended the suspension on returns to Gaza until March 2025. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Norway Flag Norway 2024 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The Immigration Appeals Board lifted the suspension on returns to Ukraine. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Norway Flag Norway 2024 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The Immigration Appeals Board lifted the suspension on returns to Yemen. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Norway Flag Norway 2024 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The Directorate for Immigration offered additional funding for initiatives that inform individuals without legal residence about assisted returns, specifically targeting those living outside asylum reception centres. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Norway Flag Norway 2024 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions The government approved a decrease in the number of resettled refugees from 1,000 to 500 refugees in 2025, with the aim to ensure that they receive adequate support in reception and are successfully integrated into the society. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Norway Flag Norway 2024 Policy Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation The Directorate of Immigration announced new license contracts for lawyers in asylum processes. In general, additional funding was allocated for legal aid services. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Norway Flag Norway 2024 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Ministry of Justice and Public Security issued a new guideline on medical evaluations and reception of patients from Gaza. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Norway Flag Norway 2024 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Directorate for Immigration replaced temporary emergency accommodation with ordinary asylum reception centres. Around 3,000 emergency places were discontinued, and around 16 new centres were opened. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Norway Flag Norway 2024 Policy Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance The Immigration Appeals Board developed a new description of practices regarding cases by Afghan nationals. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Norway Flag Norway 2024 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Directorate for Immigration committed to digitalising the whole migration sector, including developing a new IT and case management system for the agency. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Norway Flag Norway 2024 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Directorate for Immigration started to process applications in the regular procedure by displaced persons from Ukraine who are not covered by temporary protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Norway Flag Norway 2024 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Directorate for Immigration decided to suspend applications from Syrian nationals. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Norway Flag Norway 2024 Policy Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The Directorate for Immigration expanded the Ukrainian “safe areas” from 6 to 14 counties. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Norway Flag Norway 2024 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants A proposal for amendments to the Immigration Act was approved by the Council of State. It aims to facilitate the return of foreign nationals with illegal residence and possibly prevent their return. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2024 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Immigration and Naturalisation Service halted decisions on asylum applications by nationals from Lebanon. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2024 Institutional Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Ministry of Asylum and Migration was set up in July 2024 and is now responsible for matters related to international protection, which previously fell under the Ministry for Justice and Security. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2024 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Immigration and Naturalisation Service announced it will resume decisions on asylum applications by applicants from Palestine and Sudan. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2024 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Immigration and Naturalisation Service announced that applications from Yemen will be assessed individually for the risk of violence, instead of automatically qualifying for asylum. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2024 Policy The Dublin procedure The Dublin procedure An automated process was piloted to close Dublin cases in the IT system and automatically generate related correspondence. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2024 Legislative Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Distribution Act entered into force with the aim of distributing asylum seekers into reception places across provinces and municipalities in a balanced manner. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2024 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Immigration and Naturalisation Service issued a 6-month decision and departure moratorium for Syrian asylum applicants. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2024 Policy Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The Immigration and Naturalisation Service announced that India and Georgia were no longer designated as safe countries of origin. Trinidad and Tobago was also officially removed as a safe country of origin. EUAA Asylum Report 2025