More new asylum applications, fewer family reunification requests

In the third quarter of this year, 10,500 people submitted their first asylum application in the Netherlands, 32 percent more than the previous quarter. The number of family reunification requests dropped by 1 percent, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reported based on figures from the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND).

The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) has again been running into the limits of its asylum reception this month. There have been multiple nights that asylum seekers had to sleep in IND waiting rooms because there wasn’t any space for them in the registration center in Ter Apel or other emergency shelters.

According to CBS, the number of Syrians (+82 percent), Turks (+73 percent), and Eritreans (+49 percent) who fled to the Netherlands increased significantly in the third quarter compared to quarter two. Compared to the third quarter of last year, the number of first asylum applications dropped slightly.

Family reunification requests were 1 percent lower in quarter three than in the previous quarter. Compared to a year ago, these requests dropped by 29 percent. Family members mainly came to the Netherlands from Syria, Turkey, and Eritrea. The number of family reunification requests from Yemeni people increased significantly, almost tripling compared to last year.