Sharp decline in the acceptance of Syrian applications in the Netherlands

The Netherlands' asylum policy underwent a significant shift last year, with a sharp rise in asylum application rejections and an unprecedented decline in the number of Syrians granted residency, according to the latest data from Statistics Netherlands (CBS).

For the first time in years, the number of rejected applications exceeded the number of approved ones. According to data from the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), the rejection rate increased by approximately 56% compared to the previous year. Out of roughly 15,550 initial decisions, 8,120 applications were rejected, while only 7,430 were approved.

Observers believe that the second half of the year saw the most stringent measures, reflecting a new governmental approach to immigration.

A Sharp Decline in Acceptance of Syrians

After years in which the acceptance rate for Syrian applications reached approximately 95%, this rate has plummeted. The IND issued only 390 decisions concerning Syrians, compared to 10,700 the previous year, and only 28% of those granted residency permits.

According to the Dutch news site NOS, this decline is due to the freeze on decisions that followed the change of power in Syria at the end of 2014, in addition to the Dutch government's revised assessment of the level of violence there. Now, Syrian asylum seekers are required to prove "personal danger" instead of relying on the general security situation.

Subsidiary Protection Decline

The report showed a sharp 70% decrease in the granting of "subsidiary protection," which is allocated to those who do not qualify as refugees but face risks in their countries of origin. This contrasts with a 35% increase in residency permits granted for compelling humanitarian reasons.

Financial Pressure on the Immigration Service

Despite a 27% decrease in the overall number of decisions, the Immigration Service continued to face financial pressure. It was forced to pay approximately €79 million in compensation to refugees due to delays in processing their applications, highlighting a gap between the speed of procedures and the volume of cases.

This scene reflects a new reality in The Hague, where obtaining asylum in the Netherlands has become more difficult than ever, especially after the security situation in countries that were among the main sources of asylum seekers, most notably Syria, was reclassified.

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