This Inform, covering developments across 22 EMN Member Countries, as well as Norway and Serbia, explores the use of alternatives to providing in-kind housing for applicants for international protection between January 2020 and October 2025. It examines how such measures were implemented while respecting legal obligations and supporting applicants’ autonomy, addressing their vulnerability, and promoting their integration into society. The Inform focuses on financial allowances and vouchers as alternatives to accommodation provided directly by the state and highlights national approaches and innovative solutions identified across participating countries.

This Inform, updated on the basis of national contributions from 28 EMN Member and Observer Countries, provides an overview of recent developments and policy approaches in the field of statelessness, with a cut-off date of 31 October 2025. It forms part of the EMN Platform on Statelessness series, building on previous Informs published in 2016, 2020 and 2023.

This Inform examines how digital services in legal migration procedures are designed and implemented in EMN Member and Observer Countries to ensure accessibility and inclusion for applicants with disabilities and digitally disadvantaged applicants. It looks at how authorities have adapted applications, document submission, appointment booking, communication and information exchange, and case-tracking services in the context of the ongoing digitalisation of legal migration procedures. The analysis is based on contributions from 25 EMN Member and Observer Countries.

This Inform maps national approaches to the safe country of origin (SCO) and safe third country (STC) concepts, in the context of the forthcoming Asylum Procedure Regulation applicable from June 2026. It compares legislation, policies and practices governing the designation and application of SCOs and STCs, including the use of national lists, ad hoc assessments and accelerated asylum procedures. The analysis was prepared on the basis of contributions from 26 EMN Member and Observer Countries.

This EMN Inform provides an overview of the border procedures currently applied by EMN Member Countries under the Asylum Procedures Directive. It mainly examines the types of procedures, authorities involved, processing times, types of decisions taken, and safeguards for applicants with special needs. The Inform highlights differences in national practices and presents them as they exist prior to the implementation of the mandatory Asylum Border Procedure under the Pact on Migration and Asylum.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as of 15 November 2022, more than 7.8 million people have left Ukraine in search of safety, arriving primarily in neighbouring European Union (EU) and third countries. These Informs analyse the arrangements European Union (EU) Member States have put in place for accommodation and housing and access to specific services namely social benefits, education, employment, and healthcare for beneficiaries of temporary protection, in the context of the activation of the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD) (2001/55/EC), triggered in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.

What bilateral readmission agreements exist between EU Member States, Norway and third countries to facilitate the return of migrants staying irregularly on the EU territory? This EMN inform aims to map these agreements and understand how they work.

How do Member States regulate the mobility and residence of persons already granted international protection status in another Member State? What are the applicable rules for transfer of responsibility of a beneficiary of international protection?
 

What incentives and motives exist that impact a third-country national’s decision to depart voluntarily? This EMN inform focuses on the issue of voluntary departures from EU Member States and Norway, in compliance with - or in anticipation of - a return decision.

This inform provides information related to the implementation of the Temporary Protection Directive, triggered in response to the refugee crisis causes by Russia's invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. 

What are the challenges migrants face in accessing mental health services, and how are Member States addressing them? This inform maps the policies in place to help legally-residing migrants access mental health services.

On 25 April 2022, the EMN published its inform on attracting and retaining international researchers, which provides an overview of the means adopted by Member States to enhance attractiveness for international researchers, as well as the main challenges and best practices that they encountered to admit and retain them.  

This EMN inform outlines approaches, experiences and best practices in monitoring, detecting and addressing the misuse of authorisations to reside in the EU for the purpose of study.

EMN in cooperation with the OECD published a new inform ‘Skills Mobility Partnerships: Exploring Innovative Approaches to Labour Migration’. This inform highlights experiences by EU Member States, non-EU countries and international organisations with regards to the introduction of Skills Mobility Partnerships (SMPs), a new concept that promotes a sustainable approach to skilled migration and mobility, with the aim to build skills for the benefit of both countries of origin and destination.

To what extent could digital services support migration and asylum management? This joint EMN-OECD inform focuses on specific areas in the asylum, migration and acquisition of citizenship procedures, and border control management, where digital technologies may be used.