Background:

In August 2023, EMN Latvia launched this ad hoc query on behalf of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA) to learn more about the approach of the EMN Member Countries in planning the number of employees involved in the examination of asylum applications, including in the context of the Dublin Regulation. 

In Latvia, the State Border Guard and the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs are involved in the implementation of the asylum procedure. At the moment, there is no methodology for calculating the appropriate number of employees involved in international protection and Dublin decision-making. Over the last three years, only eight employees prepared 288 (2020), 891 (2021), and 1 028 (2022) decisions. Latvia is interested in obtaining information on good practices from other countries to update its personnel policy and to improve workload management in this area.

Respondents:

A total of 20 countries responded to this ad hoc query (including BE).

Findings:

A preliminary analysis of the results of the ad hoc query shows that:

• In BG, CY, CZ, EE, HU, PL, PT, SK, and SI, asylum applications and duties are dealt with by the same institution. Other EMN Member Countries divide the workload over multiple institutions, mainly the Migration and/or Asylum Office, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Police and Border Control services, and the judiciary. Special cases also require the support of Social Security, law enforcement, or Children's Services. Some countries also allocate more power to sub-national institutions. In BE, three governmental institutions are involved in international protection procedures: the Immigration Office, the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRS), and the Council for Alien Law Litigation (CALL).
• The number of Full Time Employees (FTEs) involved in the decision-making within the framework of the asylum procedure fluctuates from one country to another. In 2022, the largest numbers of asylum caseworkers were found in DE (3 307), NL (1 578), and FR (995). The lowest were in PT, SI, SK, HU, LV, and LU, with less than 30 FTEs.
• The highest total number of decisions issued (granting or refusing the refugee or alternative status) in 2022 were found in DE (228 673) and FR (134 513), and the lowest in LV, SK, and PT with around 1 000 decisions.
• CY and GR indicated that they called for the help of EUAA case workers to reinforce their staff and better manage the influx of asylum seekers on the Mediterranean coasts.
• Only BE, CY, EE, FR, DE, IT, LT, and PL indicated that they have developed a methodology according to which the necessary number of employees involved in the decision-making within the framework of the asylum procedure is calculated. BG, CZ, GR, HU, LV, LU, NL, PT, SK and SI have not done so.

For further information, please read the compilation of answers above.