Asylum reception dropped 27 percent last week

The number of asylum seekers seeking refuge in the Netherlands this past week has dropped by 27 percent compared to the week before. The Ministry of Security and Justice reported 1,600 refugee entering the Netherlands in the week of October 19th –October 25th, 600 less than the week before. Predictions over the permanent decline in the reception of refugee’s remains difficult, and it is too early to draw conclusion on the basis of the decline with regards to the development of the influx of refugees. Main priorities are to accelerate the flow of residency permit holders out of asylum centers and into municipal housing. Local authorities have committed to temporarily house 10,000 permit holders in vacant buildings, without the need for modification. Once this is done, the reception centers can again be used for the reception of new asylum seekers. The influx of asylum seekers far exceeds the number of permit holders and large-scale emergency and emergency-crisis sites, such as sports halls are becoming more and more necessary.