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
Czech Flag Czechia 2024 Policy Access to information Access to information The Ministry of the Interior launched a new Facebook page which provides information on the conditions to obtain and extend a residence permit and on the rights and obligations of foreigners. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Czech Flag Czechia 2024 Policy Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation UNHCR and civil society organisations, such as the Organisation for Aid to Refugees (OPU), launched new or continued projects to offer free legal aid and social counselling, with special attention on vulnerable applicants. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Czech Flag Czechia 2024 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups UNICEF financed child-friendly spaces in the Centres for Support of Integration of Foreigners. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Czech Flag Czechia 2024 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The Ministry of the Interior launched an information and prevention campaign on children who are victims of human trafficking. It aimed to improve identification and assistance to victims. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2024 Policy Access to information Access to information The Asylum Service published an information note for Syrian citizens who wish to return to their country of origin on the procedures to follow at each stage of the asylum procedure. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2024 Policy Access to information Access to information With help from the EUAA, the Asylum Service will start digitalising previous case files from 2002-2023. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2024 Legislative Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation The Legal Aid Law 2002 was amended regarding legal aid in appeals before the International Protection Administrative Court. Beneficiaries of international protection and illegally staying third-country nationals will only be granted legal aid if the appeal is filed within the deadlines. Legal aid representatives will be appointed in serial order from the directory of the Cyprus Bar Association, which contain at least 20 names of lawyers interested in providing free legal aid. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2024 Institutional Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Refugee Status Determination Sector was restructured with new staff appointments, new work programme and new tasks. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2024 Institutional Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A Deputy Ministry for Migration and International Protection was established in June 2024 so that competences related to migration and asylum are under a single institution. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2024 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Several migrants remained stranded for months in the buffer zone along the Green Line. They were eventually admitted to the Limnes reception centre. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Cyprus Flag Cyprus 2024 Policy Access to information Access to information The Ministry of the Interior launched an information campaign, ‘Talk truth about Cyprus’, to combat misinformation and raise awareness about the realities of migrating to the island. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Croatia Flag Croatia 2024 Policy Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation A new project was launched to finance legal assistance and representation in the process of seeking international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Croatia Flag Croatia 2024 Policy Access to information Access to information A phone application was developed to provide information to applicants for international protection and temporary protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Croatia Flag Croatia 2024 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Border Police established a new area at the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina to facilitate the screening, registration and identification of apprehended applicants. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Croatia Flag Croatia 2024 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A new project on language recognition and computer equipment was launched. The aim is to digitalise processes and facilitate the assessment of the credibility of the statements made by asylum seekers about their country of origin. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Croatia Flag Croatia 2024 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Ministry of the Interior suspended decisions on applications by Syrian nationals. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Croatia Flag Croatia 2024 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services Two new projects were launched to provide translation for asylum seekers and former applicants in the return procedure. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Croatia Flag Croatia 2024 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants A new project was launched to finance legal assistance and representation of former applicants in return procedures. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Croatia Flag Croatia 2024 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants A new AMIF funded project was launched to implement an effective and equitable system for the return of third-country nationals and irregular migrants. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Croatia Flag Croatia 2024 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The National Plan for the Suppression of Trafficking in Human Beings was presented. It aims to improve coordination among bodies, enhance policies and raise awareness. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Croatia Flag Croatia 2024 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The government started to revise the protocol for unaccompanied minors in light of the Pact on Migration and Asylum. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2024 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance A series of guidelines which better reflect the scope and use of the concept of ‘risk of absconding’ were developed and provided to the case officers. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2024 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The rules for reception facilities were amended with an order of the Chairperson of SAR which temporarily introduced new curfew hours and a monitoring protocol when a resident does not comply with the rules. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2024 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance Under the terms and conditions of Article 18 of the Administrative Procedure Code (APC), a mechanism for message delivery was developed for asylum seekers who have absconded. This mechanism applies when special measures under the Law on Asylum and Refugees (LAR) are exhausted. The Internal Rules for the Conduct of the Procedure for International Protection were updated according to an order of the Chairperson of SAR. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Bulgaria Flag Bulgaria 2024 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The State Agency for Refugees launched the process to develop a comprehensive reception strategy, with EUAA support. It focuses on enhanced cooperation with various stakeholders and aims to provide integration perspectives for beneficiaries of international protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2025