Asylum applications in Netherlands decline for first time in four years
The total number of asylum applications in the Netherlands dropped in 2024, marking the first decline in four years, according to figures released by the Ministry of Asylum and Migration, Trouw reports. Nearly 45,600 asylum requests were filed with the Dutch Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) last year, compared to 50,600 in 2023 and 48,600 the year before. The number of applications was significantly lower in 2021, when the figure stood at 36,800.
The ministry's data offers a preliminary look at asylum trends in the Netherlands, with a sharp decrease in applications seen in the second half of 2024. Typically, the fall is a period when asylum requests increase, as many individuals seeking protection from conflicts and instability arrive. However, this was not the case in 2024.
The decline is not limited to new asylum seekers arriving at the reception center in Ter Apel but also includes family reunification requests, repeat asylum applications from individuals already in the country, and requests for relocation and resettlement. The latter two categories, however, represent a small portion of the total.
Approximately one-quarter of all asylum applications in recent years have been for family reunification. Asylum seekers can apply for this once they have completed the entire asylum process and been granted a residence permit—a process that now takes approximately one and a half to two years.
A notable decrease in newcomers seeking asylum was observed in 2024. As of November, 29,790 new asylum seekers had applied for protection, a significant drop from 34,505 in 2023 and 32,910 in 2022.
The final figures for December are still pending, and it remains to be seen how the political changes in Syria—marked by the end of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad—will impact the year-end numbers. Syria accounted for 44 percent of all asylum seekers in 2024. Other significant source countries included Iraq, Turkey, Eritrea, and Yemen, each contributing around 5 percent of the total.
Despite these figures, it might be too early to attribute the decline to the current government’s policies, which have aimed to reduce the number of asylum seekers.
The decrease in asylum applications is not unique to the Netherlands. Across Europe, the number of asylum seekers has also declined. Some countries, including Germany and Sweden, experienced even steeper drops than the Netherlands. In the first 11 months of 2024, Germany saw a 30 percent reduction in first-time asylum requests compared to 2023, while Sweden experienced nearly a 50 percent decrease.
In November, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, reported a 40 percent decrease in "irregular border crossings" up to that point.
