Biggest increase in asylum requests since 2015

The number of new asylum applications rose sharply in the third quarter of 2021, the most significant increase since the refugee crisis in 2015. Especially more Syrians, Afghans, and Turks applied for asylum. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reported this based on figures from the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND).

In the third quarter, 8,845 people applied for asylum for the first time. That is over 2.5 times more than in the second quarter. There was also 7 percent more family reunification applications. This concerns family members who applied to be reunited with someone who already has an asylum permit.

2,550 Syrians made first-time asylum applications in the third quarter, up from 1,015 a quarter earlier, making them the largest group. The number of requests from Afghans rose relatively quickly, from 210 in the second quarter to 1,565 in the third. The IND received four times more applications from people of Turkish nationality.

The increase in family members is made up almost entirely of people from Syria and Turkey. The number of people with Eritrean and Yemeni nationality who came to the Netherlands through family reunification decreased.

Asylum seekers who want to settle in the Netherlands must first submit an asylum application. The IND then conducts several interviews with the applicant before granting or rejecting the request. After rejection, the asylum seeker can submit a second request if new information may shed a different light on their case.