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 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 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 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 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 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 Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Ministry of Justice and Public Security issued new instructions to the UDI on applicants’ accommodation, outlining the roles and responsibilities of the different authorities involved in the reception process and highlighting the need to provide suitable accommodation as part of an efficient and flexible reception system. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Norway Flag Norway 2023 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection With the expansion of reception capacity, more training was provided to UDI staff acting as contact points for reception centres and staff employed in reception centres. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Norway Flag Norway 2023 Policy Access to information Access to information The UDI awarded a 4-year contract to Caritas Norway to provide information and guidance to newly-arrived asylum seekers as of 1 June 2023. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Norway Flag Norway 2023 Policy Access to information Access to information The UDI launched a “New in Norway” website targeted at newly-arrived displaced persons from Ukraine. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Norway Flag Norway 2023 Policy Country of origin information Country of origin information The authorities explored the potential use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools for COI research and analysis. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Norway Flag Norway 2023 Policy Country of origin information Country of origin information Landinfo conducted fact-finding missions with other COI units. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Norway Flag Norway 2023 Policy Content of protection Content of protection The authorities informed that temporary collective protection status may be converted into residence permits for employment or family reunification. 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
Norway Flag Norway 2023 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions It was decided to resettle 1,000 refugees in 2024. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Norway Flag Norway 2023 Policy Access to information Access to information The UDI launched an application process for organisations to receive grants (NOK 1 million in total) to inform illegally-residing individuals who reside outside of the reception system about assisted returns. 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 Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The IND continued to work on improving the quality of investigations into threats to national security when carrying out the asylum and family reunification screening processes. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2023 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The prioritisation policy was applied to applicants in the Dublin procedure (Track 1 procedure), applicants from safe countries of origin and applicants who were already recognised in another EU+ country (Track 2 procedure), and applicants from countries with low recognition rates, such as Algeria and Moldova. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2023 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The IND planned to draft clearer instructions for searching the Internet during standard screening in asylum and family reunification processes, and an agreement would be made to guarantee minimal search enquiries. It also planned to adapt its processes to ensure that a more extensive open-source investigation is undertaken by specialist employees when there are signs that the applicant may be a possible danger to national security. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2023 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The credibility assessment framework was under review and measures relating to group policies were developed. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2023 Policy Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs In March 2023 and October 2023, respectively, the IND concluded that Mauritania and Djibouti can be regarded as safe third countries. EUAA Asylum Report 2024
Netherlands Flag Netherlands 2023 Policy Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs In January 2023, the IND considered that Colombia cannot be regarded as a safe third country. 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