Netherlands leaves asylum seekers in limbo for too long

6 November 2017

In response to the growing number of asylum seekers the Netherlands had to deal with until 2016, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) introduced new policies in that year. As a result, all asylum seekers face an extended procedure, which can take two years or even longer. While the number of refugees has since fallen sharply, the policy remains in full force.

Translation: Tanja Veenstra

On 23 May 2016, then-Secretary of State for Security and Justice Klaas Dijkhoff sent a letter to all asylum seekers who submitted their applications after 11 February.

Dear Sir, Madam,

You want to apply for asylum in the Netherlands. I understand that you would like clarity about your future as soon as possible. In this letter, I will tell you what to expect. Many asylum seekers are currently coming to the Netherlands. As a result, it is very busy in the asylum reception, the reception is sober and the waiting times are long.

Waiting longer

The waiting time to start the procedure is currently around seven months. Only then will the IND investigate whether you can stay in the Netherlands. How long that investigation takes cannot be indicated in advance. It could be short, but it could also take several months. Because of the arrival of the large number of asylum seekers in the Netherlands, the total period within which the IND must make a decision has been extended from six to 15 months, with the possibility of also extending this period by three months if necessary to make a good decision. These are maximum time limits: the IND's commitment is to decide faster. (...)*

* Read the whole letter from the state secretary.

Conflicting reports

Three months after this letter, IND director Van Lint declares that 300 of the 650 temporary workers, which the IND had hired in 2015 to accommodate the large number of refugees, are no longer needed, as reported by NOS in a 22 August 2016 report (NOS article).

A recent report by the Ministry of Security and Justice states that the number of asylum seekers in the Netherlands has decreased significantly compared to the two previous years. The same information can be found on COA's website: “The total capacity for the central reception of asylum seekers will be reduced this year to 31,000 available reception places (end 2017). This is necessary because the number of asylum seekers in the Netherlands has decreased sharply. Sixty-one reception locations will remain open and 45 will close or have already closed. The reception capacity of 18 existing locations will also be reduced.”

From optimism to despair

In other words, the arguments for longer waiting times put forward by the IND in 2016 are no longer relevant. Many therefore wonder why such a measure continues to apply now that the refugee influx has decreased significantly.

Asylum seekers who have been waiting for a long time for a decision tell us that they are consumed by despair, some even becoming averse to life, because, they say: there is no way you can plan for the future if you do not know what decision awaits you. The humane solution would be to process their cases as soon as possible, without exceeding the legal deadline.

François, who has been in an asylum seekers“ centre for 30 months, feels that this is all about keeping intact an image of the Netherlands admitting a large number of asylum seekers, at the expense of refugees” lives. “That an asylum procedure can take more than a year is unjustifiable, since someone who has fled his country needs reliable guidance quickly: help with his moral and psychological recovery,” he marvels. “Just imagine,” he continues, "that for almost three years, day after day, minute after minute, you are just waiting for a decision on your asylum application."

Habib, an asylum seeker in the Netherlands for a year and a half, says he needs alcohol to sleep because of the long wait. “I know very well that I do violence to myself with excessive alcohol consumption, but don't get me wrong: I have no choice,” he states critically.

Similarly, some asylum seekers seek refuge in narcotics, while others isolate themselves completely because they do not know what the future holds for them. With adverse consequences such as mental health problems and trauma.

Former Security and Justice Minister Stef Blok acknowledges that too little attention is paid to refugee trauma. This is evident from the answers he gave on 13 October to Parliamentary questions Jasper van Dijk (SP) asked about this on 4 September (download here The parliamentary questions and answers).

Better prevention than cure

The concerns voiced by MP Van Dijk seem to be limited to the psychological treatment of refugees who suffer trauma, but forget to pay attention to one of the major causes of - new - trauma: the long period of uncertainty refugees face in the Netherlands.

For asylum seekers, the best solution would be to undo as soon as possible the strategy of longer waiting times - which in some cases even exceed the foreseen period. It is high time for more humane measures.

The names of asylum seekers in this article are fictitious.

Image: EU2016 EN CC BY SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Rate this article

You read this article for free. Do you think the article and our efforts are worthwhile? Then you can show your appreciation by making a contribution. This way, you help our journalists and RFG Media.