This ad hoc query examines the challenges faced by applicants and beneficiaries of international protection in accessing autonomous housing and how EMN Member and Observer Countries organise the provision of support to this group.

This ad hoc query focuses on the early detection and identification of presumed victims of torture or other forms of inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in international and temporary protection procedures. It inter alia collects information from EMN Member Countries on guidance and training available to competent authorities, on referrals to medico-legal assessments and use of medico-legal documentation as well as on challenges and good practices in this field.

This ad hoc query addresses the human resource management strategies in Asylum and Dublin Units in EMN Member Countries. It provides information on the division of the workload between the different institutions involved in the asylum procedure within the EMN Member Countries, on the number of decisions issued as well as on the methodologies in place to ensure a sufficient number of employees to guarantee decision-making. 

This ad hoc query collects information on the submission, processing and examination of applications for family reunification with beneficiaries of international protection. It also focuses on documentary requirements which apply in this context. Finally, it touches upon family reunification with and for children, including children coming of age.

The Czech Ministry of Interior is currently looking into the possibility of using real-time speech-translating devices during the asylum procedure, especially during the interviews. It launched an ad hoc query to find out if other Member States are using this type of system in the asylum procedure.

The Luxembourg Ombudsman for Children and Youth (OKaJu), together with UNICEF Luxembourg, is carrying out research on the situation of unaccompanied minors (UAMs) in Luxembourg. In this context, they would like to collect information on good practices in other EU Member States with a focus on the guardianship of UAMs.

The Belgian authorities are looking to improve/review the special residence procedure for unaccompanied foreign minors, known as the Best Interest Procedure. In this context, Belgium launched three ad hoc queries to seek information from other Member States on (i) similar residence procedures specifically for UAMs, (ii) procedures followed in case return to the country of origin is considered and (iii) steps taken to implement return decisions.

In the event of implicit withdrawal or abandonment of an asylum application, Art. 28 par. 2 of the directive 2013/32/EU allows Member States to determine in their legislation a time limit of at least nine months, after which the applicant’s case can no longer be reopened or the new application may be treated as a subsequent application. The German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees launched an ad hoc query to enquire whether and how the Member States transposed this provision.

The Dutch National Contact Point (NCP) to the European Migration Network launched an ad hoc query on the existing data on unaccompanied minors (UAMs) outside of international protection procedures in other Member Countries. With this query, the Dutch NCP wanted to get a better picture of the total influx of UAMs in a European perspective.