The Annual Report on Migration and Asylum presents the statistical trends and developments in migration, asylum and integration, changes in legislation or policies, and it traces significant national debates, which occurred in Luxembourg during the year 2022.
Some of the most notable changes and debates in Luxembourg in the fields of migration and asylum during the year 2022 were of legislative nature.
One of the most outstanding legislative developments is the completion of the revision of the Luxembourgish Constitution. This concludes a process which stretched over several decades and which entailed manifold discussions, debates, and exchanges with different national stakeholders. The new approved Constitution is a modern instrument, striving to meet the needs of today’s society. Table 2 below gives an overview over how this process has been split up in four proposals for revision, which each entail one or several chapters of the Constitution.
Several Bills, such as 7982 and 8035, are concerned with issues related to beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine. A number of laws passed in 2022, namely the Law of 1 April 2022, the Law of 10 May 2022, and the Law of 26 October 2022, are dealing with manifold aspects of the intake of beneficiaries of temporary protection as well.
The Law of 23 December 2022 extends the deadline for the recovery of the Luxembourgish nationality (as the applicants were unable to sign their recovery declaration because of Covid-19 related travel restrictions).
The Law of 22 July 2022, which amends the Electoral Law of 2003, significantly impacts the foreign population as it gives voting rights to foreigners residing in Luxembourg for less than five years.
Bill 7954, which amends the amended Law of 29 August 2008 on the free movement of persons and immigration (“Immigration Law”) structures the removal of third-country nationals from the territory and regulates residence permits for private reasons.
Bill 8014 deals with the detention criteria relating to the risk of absconding of applicants for international protection who fall within the scope of the Dublin III Regulation.
Bills 7977 and 8069 are about different aspects in the field of education: Bill 7977 intends to make education mandatory until 18 years, thus also affecting third-country nationals in Luxembourg, and Bill 8069 shall give a legal basis to the new integration and reception service and to school integration measures.
As part of the fight against racism, Bill 8032 shall complement the Penal Code by introducing aggravating circumstances for discriminatory motives.
In additional to several relevant laws (listed above), the Government launched a One-Stop-Shop (Guichet unique- enregistrement Ukraine) in the centre of Luxembourg City to facilitate the temporary protection registration process. Luxembourg decided to extend temporary protection until 4 March 2024.
For more information, please consult the report in English and French.