Hundreds of asylum seekers fleeing the Netherlands

Since November 2015, about 400 Syrian and Iraqi refugees have stated that they wish to leave the Netherlands. The majority of these refugees have still not started the asylum procedure, according to a report by BNR based on statistics from the repatriation and departure service in the Netherlands. John Van Tilburg, manager of INLIA, the interdenominational organization for asylum seekers states, “It is remarkable that people who can actually get a residence permit – with almost absolute certainty that they will get this permit- do eventually decide to return prior to recieving the residence permit. Or who, right after retrieving the permit, return out of desperation." He is concerned that the 15-month deadline for the Netherlands to make rulings is simply too long. "This is really harmful to people living in fear and despair if they will be able to safely secure their families," he says. Refugees who depart from the Netherlands usually return to Turkey, where their families are staying, according to BNR.