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 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 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection A proposal for tighter family reunification rules was made to protect the bests interests of the child, aiming to prevent child abduction and bigamy. 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 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 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 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 Immigration Appeals Board lifted the suspension on returns to Yemen. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
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 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 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
Norway Flag Norway 2024 Institutional Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Directorate for Immigration underwent a structural reorganisation of staff and asylum workflows. Instead of teams by specific field or country, teams formed on expertise and experience work together on assignments for about 6 months, following prioritisation through an analysis of pending asylum cases. 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 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 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 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 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 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
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2024 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The extension of the time limit to decide on asylum cases from 6 months to 15 months was prolonged until 1 January 2025. 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 implemented a project-based approach to increase efficiency in application processing. It allowed applicants to schedule their interviews, which were held at reception centres. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2024 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions Resettlement from Türkiye resumed in 2024, with a pledge for 500 Syrian resettlement cases from Türkiye per year. The national quota for resettlement was limited to a maximum of 200 refugees a year. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2024 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The State Secretary for Justice and Security announced additional support measures for reception, including 5,000 new places. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2024 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The government sent a letter to the EU Commission manifesting their desire to opt out of the Common European Asylum System in case of a Treaty amendment. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2024 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers initiated a nationwide project to accommodate permit holders in hotels. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2024 Policy Access to information Access to information The Immigration and Naturalisation Service announced that it will simplify the language used in written communication with applicants to ensure that they fully understand the messages. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2024 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The government started a pilot project for unaccompanied minors who have exhausted all legal remedies to find adequate shelter in their country of origin. EUAA Asylum Report 2025