EASO Asylum Report 2021 Annual Report on the Situation of Asylum in the European Union Cover image: Steve Evans © European Asylum Support Office, 2021 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. For any use of reproduction of photos or other material that is not under the EASO copyright, permission must be sought directly from the copyright holder. PDF ISBN 978-92-9465-049-8 ISSN 2314-9701 DOI 10.2847/6007 BZ-AB-21-001-EN-N HTML ISBN 978-92-9465-048-1 ISSN 2314-9701 DOI 10.2847/692856 BZ-AB-21-001-EN-Q EPUB ISBN 978-92-9465-047-4 ISSN 2314-9701 DOI 10.2847/165462 BZ-AB-21-001-EN-E EASO Asylum Report 2021 Annual Report on the Situation of Asylum in the European Union SUPPORT IS OUR MISSION EASO Asylum Report 2021 Foreword This year marks the 10th edition of the agency’s flagship publication, the EASO Asylum Report. The report has been continuously improved over the years to capture and report on the latest trends and policy discussions centred around building a harmonised Common European Asylum System (CEAS). We are proud that the EASO Asylum Report has evolved into the go-to source of information on asylum in Europe and reflects the growth of the agency as a centre of expertise on asylum since its founding on 19 June 2010. Indeed, EASO’s growing role is highlighted in the European Commission’s new Pact on Migration and Asylum, which was published in September 2020. The pact offers a fresh start to the discussion on an effective and humane management of migration and asylum in Europe. EASO stands ready to undertake an enhanced mandate as the EU Agency for Asylum (EUAA) and to serve as an integral part of the European framework to manage a complex migratory reality, in full respect of fundamental rights. The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on every aspect of life throughout the world. With the aim of mitigating the spread of the virus and keeping people safe – both those seeking refuge in Europe and the staff who work directly with asylum seekers – emergency measures and longer-term changes to procedures were implemented across all EU+ countries. This year was the first time since CEAS was established that Member States, national asylum and reception authorities, and organisations working in the field of international protection were faced with a double-barrelled challenge: respecting the basic human right of living in safety and managing a global health crisis which could expose both migrants and receiving countries to further risk. While national administrations were tested to their limits, EASO’s activities were directly aimed at supporting Member States to ensure a continuity of services and to provide emergency assistance. Throughout 2020, the agency developed tools to enhance and align procedures, published analytical reports and trained asylum professionals. A dedicated information collection initiative provided up- to-date, comprehensive and reliable information on the impact of COVID-19 on the asylum procedure. The results showed the resilience of the EU’s national asylum and reception systems, which quickly adapted modalities and turned to digital solutions to provide refuge to those in need. These innovations may be the key to increase efficiency and address similar challenges in the future while maintaining a sustainable European system. Nina Gregori Executive Director European Asylum Support Office 5 Annual Report on the Situation of Asylum in the European Union Acknowledgements We would like to thank a number of organisations and institutions which actively contributed to this year’s edition of the EASO Asylum Report through direct contributions, consultations or feedback during the drafting process. In particular, we express our gratitude to asylum and reception authorities in EU+ countries for the continuous information-exchange throughout the year. From January to February 2021, EASO conducted a series of bilateral calls with experts from national authorities who form part of the EASO IDS Advisory Group to confirm primary facts and information on legislative, policy, practical and jurisprudential developments in asylum and reception which occurred during 2020. The contributions of national experts involved in EASO’s thematic networks are invaluable in helping EASO maintain an accurate and up-to-date overview of asylum-related developments in Europe and beyond. Information was also obtained from EU+ countries with the coordination of the European Migration Network (EMN). We are grateful to the European Commission for its continued support and feedback during the drafting process. Experts from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) also provided valuable input. Through various channels, civil society organisations, academia and research institutions provided EASO with research findings and information from the ground. To present the full picture of asylum in 2020 and take account of all perspectives, contributions from these institutions and organisations were included in this report. To this end, EASO would like to acknowledge the following organisations which contributed to EASO Asylum Report 2021 by sharing their publications or through direct submissions and consultations: Abogacía Española – CGAE (Spain) Dutch Advisory Committee on Migration Affairs Accem (Spain) (Netherlands) Aditus Foundation (Malta) Dutch Council for Refugees (Netherlands) Andalucia Acoge (Spain) Equal Rights Beyond Borders (Greece-Germany) Are You Syrious (Croatia) European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) Associazione My Lawyer (Italy) (Belgium) Asylex (Switzerland) European Network on Statelessness (International) Asylum Protection Center (Serbia) European Trade Union Committee for Education Asylum Research Centre-ARC Foundation (United (ETUCE) Kingdom) Forum réfugiés-Cosi (France) Border Violence Monitoring Network (BVMN) Friedrich Ebert Stiftung -Brussels Office (Belgium) (International - Balkans) Fundación Cepaim (Spain) Caritas Cyprus (Cyprus) Greek Council for Refugees (Greece) Centro Astalli per l'assistenza agli immigrati ODV Háttér Society (Hungary) (Italy) Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (Poland) Conseil National des Barreaux (France) Human Rights League (Slovakia) Consejo General de la Abogacía Española (Spain) HumanRights360 (Greece) Danish Refugee Council (Denmark) Hungarian Helsinki Committee (Hungary) Defensor del Pueblo Espana (Spain) Legal Centre Lesvos (Greece) DRC Greece (Greece) Ludwig Boltzman Institute for Fundamental Rights (Austria) 6 EASO Asylum Report 2021 Lumos Foundation (USA-United Kingdom) Refugee Rights Europe (United Kingdom) Malta Refugee Council (Malta) Refugee Support Aegean (Greece) METAdrasi (Greece) Save the Children (International) Migrant Integration Center -Brasov (Romania) Spanish Commission for Refugees -CEAR (Spain) Migration Policy Institute Europe (Belgium) Statewatch (International) Mobile Info Team (Greece) The Swedish Network of Refugee Support Groups Network for Children’s Rights (Greece) (FARR) (Sweden) Norwegian Organisation for Asylum Seekers Transgender Europe (TGEU) (Germany) (NOAS) (Norway) University of Nicosia, MiHUB (Cyprus) Organization for Aid to Refugees (OPU) and Forum Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo (VIS); for Human Rights (joint contribution; Czechia) Comitato per la promozione e protezione dei Platform for International Cooperation on dirittiumani; Don Bosco 2000; Salesiani per il Undocumented Migrants (PICUM) (International) Sociale; and Forum per Cambiare l’Ordine delle Queer Base (Austria) Cose (joint submission; Italy) Rädda Barnen-Save the Children (Sweden) Red Cross Europe (EU Office) 7 Annual Report on the Situation of Asylum in the European Union Acronyms and abbreviations ACSG Asylum Capacity Support Group AIDA Asylum Information Database AMIF Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund AVRR Assisted voluntary return and reintegration programmes AWAS Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers (Malta) AZC Asylum seekers’ centre (asielzoekerscentrum) (Netherlands) BBU Federal Agency for Reception and Support Services (Bundesagentur für Betreuungs- und Unterstützungsleistungen GmbH) (Austria) BVMN Border Violence Monitoring Network CALL Council for Alien Law Litigation (Belgium) CAT UN Committee against Torture CEAS Common European Asylum System CEDAW UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women CEPOL EU Agency for Law Enforcement Training CGRS Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (Belgium) CJEU Court of Justice of the European Union CNAIM National Centre for Supporting the Integration of Migrants (Portugal) COA Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (Centraal Orgaan opvang asielzoekers) (Netherlands) COI Country of origin information CPT European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment DT&V Repatriation and Departure Service (Netherlands) EASO European Asylum Support Office ECHR European Convention on Human Rights ECtHR European Court of Human Rights ECRE European Council on Refugees and Exiles EMCDDA European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction EMN European Migration Network ENS European Network on Statelessness EPS EASO’s Early Warning and Preparedness System ETCC Employer Tailored Chain Cooperation EU+ European Union Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland eu-LISA European Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice EUAA EU Asylum Agency Eurojust EU Judicial Cooperation Agency Europol EU Agency for