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
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2024 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A new project on operational support was approved within the AMIF framework. It aims to improve the reception conditions of applicants. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2024 Policy Access to information Access to information The Ministry of the Interior prepared simplified versions of information material, such as leaflets and booklets, and translated them into the most common languages of applicants. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2024 Policy Return of former applicants Return of former applicants A new project for the implementation of forced returns of illegally-staying third-country nationals was approved within the AMIF framework. It aims to identify and process travel documents, and provide services such as accommodation, food and interpretation. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2024 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The Migration Office started to prepare a change in the management of social profiles, including an expansion of the information system to include tabs for identified vulnerabilities. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2024 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Act on Asylum was amended to transpose Article 40 of the recast Asylum Procedures Directive on the grounds for the inadmissibility of subsequent applications. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2024 Legislative Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation The government approved a legal amendment aiming to extend the scope of legal aid in asylum matters and to make it more accessible to people with a low income by changing the calculation for sufficient means. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Slovakia Flag Slovakia 2024 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The Ministry of the Interior opened new interview rooms for victims of human trafficking. The rooms are adapted to interviews with particularly vulnerable victims, taking into consideration their special needs and aiming to ensure their protection. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Romania Flag Romania 2024 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The government approved an Emergency Ordinance which changed the time limit to appeal a return decision from 3 days to 10 days. It also established that the court would examine the appeal within 5 days from the date of its receipt and the decision is final. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Romania Flag Romania 2024 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection Romania increased its reception capacity by installing modular buildings from 71 containers in the reception centres in Maramureș, Rădăuți and Galați. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Romania Flag Romania 2024 Legislative Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions Following a legislative amendment, 200 refugees will be resettled to Romania during 2024-2025. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Portugal Flag Portugal 2024 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum signed a cooperation agreement with the Portuguese Bar Association and the Order of Solicitors and Enforcement Agents to provide legal support in case processing and promote an exchange of knowledge and practices. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Portugal Flag Portugal 2024 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Council of Ministers approved an action plan on migration, which is divided into three main areas of action: regulating migration; integration and institutional reorganisation. The measures include institutional reorganisation, for example restructuring AIMA's competencies and internal organisation, strengthening AIMA's human and technological resources, transferring services for residence permit renewal applications from the Institute of Registries and Notary (IRN) to AIMA, creating an Aliens and Borders Unit in the Public Security Police and reinstating the Migration Observatory as a state body. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Portugal Flag Portugal 2024 Legislative Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Ministry of the Presidency passed a decree approving the measures laid down in the migration action plan, which assigns new competencies to the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) and redefines the Migration Observatory. The decree came into force on 29 June 2024. 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 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance An amendment to the Immigration Regulation lowered the threshold for conducting hearings by the Immigration Appeals Board in deportation cases involving children. 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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