Relatively many child asylum seekers involved in incidents in overcrowded shelters
A relatively large number of unaccompanied children were involved in incidents in asylum shelters last year, the Ministry of Justice’s Research and Data Center (WODC) reported on Monday. But even though shelters have never been as full as they were last year, the number of asylum seekers suspected of a crime decreased.
“There is a lot of discussion in the media about nuisance caused by young asylum seekers, especially from Syria,” the WODC said. It is important to visualize this with factual information.”
The WODC reported that a relatively large number of unaccompanied teenagers were involved in incidents last year, over a third compared to 11 percent of all asylum seekers. And 22 percent of asylum seekers suspected of crimes are minors, an increase of 11 percent compared to 2023.
“One possible explanation is that young people are always pushing the boundaries, while they generally receive less supervision and appropriate facilities in emergency shelters,” the WODC said. Another factor is the composition of the group of unaccompanied children and their chance of being granted asylum. “This chance has recently decreased significantly among Syrian unaccompanied minors.”
Recent research has shown that some groups of child asylum seekers are more likely to get involved in criminal activities, often in combination with other problems like mental health problems or addiction. “The image of minor asylum seekers is therefore worrying,” the WODC said. “But even for this group, it is still the case that only a limited number are involved in incidents or crimes.”
The WODC stressed that the Netherlands Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) is struggling with overcrowded shelters. The average daily occupancy rate of COA locations increased by 24 percent in one year in 2024, from 53,610 to 66,450 people. 40 percent of asylum seekers lived in emergency shelters with bare-bones facilities last year.
“This goes hand-in-hand with an increase in the number of incidents,” the WODC said. Incidents increased by 21 percent from 13,380 in 2023 to 16,200 last year. 35 percent of asylum seekers involved in incidents were staying in emergency shelters. But at the same time, the percentage of asylum seekers suspected of a crime decreased by 13 percent, from 6,755 in 2023 to 5,875 last year. “Only a small group of COA residents is involved in incidents,” the WODC said.
