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
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2024 Policy Interpretation services Interpretation services The new Reception and Integration Agency is now responsible for interpretation during the stage of lodging an asylum application and in the reception facilities. The Migration Department remains responsible for interpretation during the substantive asylum interview. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2024 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection The Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) granted EUR 10 million to improve the infrastructure of existing reception facilities and expand capacity with the involvement of municipalities. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2024 Institutional Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection A new Reception and Integration Agency was established to oversee services such as accommodation, health checks, vulnerability assessments, and the coordination of legal and translation support. It started to operate in January 2025, after the reconstruction of the Refugee Reception Centre. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2024 Institutional Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Following a legislative reform, the Vilnius District Administrative Court was reorganised by merging with the Regional Administrative District Court to form a single Regional Administrative Court. Before the reform, only the Vilnius Court heard asylum appeals. Now, all five chambers of the new court review asylum cases. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2024 Legislative Return of former applicants Return of former applicants The Law on the Legal Status of Foreigners was amended to establish that asylum seekers who submit a subsequent application without new substantial information are not granted the right to remain in Lithuania after filing a court complaint, unless the Regional Administrative Court applies interim measures. This means expulsion can occur immediately after a decision on the subsequent application, unless the court applied interim measures. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Lithuania Flag Lithuania 2024 Legislative Legal representation and assistance Legal assistance and representation Following a legislative amendment, state-guaranteed legal aid for foreigners is now organised by the Reception and Integration Agency which operates under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour rather than by the Migration Department. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Latvia Flag Latvia 2024 Policy Processing asylum applications at first instance Processing asylum applications at first instance The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs suspended decisions on applications by Syrian nationals. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Latvia Flag Latvia 2024 Legislative Content of protection Content of protection A new regulation was adopted revising the fee for the renewal of residence permits for people with an alternative status and for the registration of permanent residence of refugees. It also applies to family members of refugees and people with an alternative status, if they arrived through family reunification. The fees are applicable as of 1 January 2025. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Latvia Flag Latvia 2024 Policy Access to information Access to information The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs launched a new information and communication campaign to raise awareness about the asylum process and applicants’ rights and obligations. It includes activities in reception centres aiming to bring together locals and residents. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Latvia Flag Latvia 2024 Policy Access to procedure icon Access to procedure Five administrative regions started to implement the enhanced border protection regime. Consequently, people seeking international protection can only apply at official border-crossing points. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Policy Reception of applicants for international protection Reception of applicants for international protection New tender specifications for reception services were issued. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Legislative Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Decree No 98/2024 established procedures for the initial interview of minors upon arrival at a reception centre. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Legislative Detention Detention during the asylum procedure Legislation was amended to adjust the rules requiring certain applicants to pay a bail of EUR 2,500-5,000 as an alternative to detention pending the outcome of their asylum application. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Law No 187/2024 converting Decree Law No 158/2024 reduced the timeframe to appeal a rejected asylum application to 7 days. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Legislative Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance Decree Law No 158/2024 introduced the possibility to challenge suspension decisions of first instance courts before the Court of Appeal. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Legislative Access to procedure icon Access to procedure The state of emergency was extended for 2025, as a consequence of the exceptional increase in the flow of migrants entering the country through the Mediterranean migratory routes. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs Law No 187/2024 converting Decree Law No 158/2024 allowed a deferred refusal of entry order to be issued to applicants who are traced during surveillance activities at the external borders, including as a result of search and rescue operations, and are taken to areas designated for carrying out a border procedure. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The list of safe countries of origin was first updated by a ministerial decree and then included in primary norm by Decree Law No 158/2024. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Legislative Special procedures to assess protection needs Special procedures to assess protection needs The Italy-Albania protocol was ratified, which set up a mechanism and the conditions under which Italy would carry out the processing of asylum applications under Italian jurisdiction in designated areas of Albanian territory for third-country nationals originating from the list of safe countries of origin and who are rescued or intercepted in international water by vessels of Italian authorities. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Policy Detention Detention during the asylum procedure New tender specifications for pre-removal detention centres (CPRs) were issued. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups A protocol was signed to prevent the disappearance of unaccompanied foreign minors. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Following the publication in June 2023 of the vademecum on identification, referral and care of persons with vulnerabilities, specific activities were launched in 2024, for example seminars and refresher courses. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Policy Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups A new project was launched to promote family foster care placements. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Institutional Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups The Ministry of Labour and Social Policies took on new duties related to unaccompanied minors in the asylum system. EUAA Asylum Report 2025
Italy Flag Italy 2024 Policy Resettlement Resettlement and humanitarian admissions Through humanitarian admission programmes, Italy transferred victims of torture and ill treatment from Libya, refugee students through university corridors, Afghans and Palestinians. EUAA Asylum Report 2025