Author
| Name in English | Number of staff | Ministry responsible | Is there any political interference possible by the responsible Minister with the decision making in individual cases by the determining authority? |
| Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) | 6,477 FTE[1] | Ministry of Asylum and Migration | Yes |
The Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) is responsible for examining applications for international protection and taking decisions at first instance. The work instructions applied by caseworkers are published in Dutch on the IND’s website.[2] This includes procedural instructions on, inter alia, interviews, subsequent applications, age assessments, border procedures, and the use of country of origin information. Additionally, it provides information on how to work with an interpreter, how to handle medical advice, how to decide in cases in which sexual orientation and gender identity issues are brought up as grounds for asylum, or how to conduct child-friendly interviews.
To keep up with the yearly increase in the number of asylum requests, the IND has gradually been raising its capacity. The number of IND personnel has increased from 4,302 FTE in 2019, 4,762 FTE in 2020, 4,969 FTE in 2021, 5,393 in 2022, 6,039 in 2023, to 6,438 in 2024 (FTE being a ‘fulltime-equivalent’, where one FTE corresponds to a full workweek for one person).[3] This number increased to 6,477 in 2025. In addition, the IND has experimented with different methods to make the asylum procedure more efficient, for example by implementing a written interview or outsourcing positive decisions to external partners. However, the backlog of cases continues to grow, increasing to 51,860 as of December 2025 (excluding family reunification and Tracks 1 and 2, see Procedures).[4]
In addition to the staff of the IND, there was also European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) personnel present on Dutch territory in 2025.
In May 2022, the EUAA signed its first operational plan with the Netherlands, to address temporary reception needs, as well as to provide operational support in the field of reception.[5] In December 2022, the EUAA and the Netherlands signed an amendment and extension of the plan for continued operational support..[6] The plan was subsequently amended and extended twice: for continued support in 2024 extending to both asylum and reception,[7] and for continuation of support until June 2026, with a focus on reception support.[8]
Throughout 2025, the EUAA deployed 52 experts to the Netherlands, mainly external experts (45).[9] These included 26 protection experts and 17 Junior Reception Child Protection Experts.[10]
As of 15 December 2025, a total of 23 EUAA experts were deployed in the Netherlands, out of which 17 were protection experts.[11]
In the Netherlands, new workflows were set up and launched in April 2025 for the identification and referral of special needs and vulnerabilities in the night shelter and the initial central reception (COL) area of Ter Apel. In this context, some 129 persons were screened by the EUAA, presented vulnerability indicators and were referred to the Dutch reception Authority (COA), while additionally the EUAA conducted special needs and vulnerability interviews with 34 vulnerable persons residing in the Night Shelter, between May and September 2025, when the relevant activities took place.[12]
In 2025, the EUAA delivered 3 training sessions to a total of 44 local staff members.[13]
[1] IND, Tertaalcijfers 2025, available in Dutch at: https://bit.ly/3YVbYPk.
[2] IND, ’Cijfers en Publicaties’, available in Dutch at: https://bit.ly/4iFFFMk.
[3] IND, Annual reports 2017 – 2025, available at: https://bit.ly/3LmkQKK.
[4] IND, De IND in cijfers, 25 March 2026, available in Dutch at: https://bit.ly/4kDCars.
[5] EUAA, Operational Plan 2022 agreed with the European Union Agency for Asylum and the Netherlands, 6 May 2022, available at: https://bit.ly/3ypVNMJ, Annex 1.
[6] EUAA, Operational Plan 2022-2023 agreed with the European Union Agency for Asylum and the Netherlands, December 2022, available at: https://bit.ly/3FenQ5x, Annex 1.
[7] EUAA, Operational Plan 2024 agreed with the European Union Agency for Asylum and the Netherlands, December 2023, available here.
[8] EUAA, Operational Plan 2022-2026 agreed with the European Union Agency for Asylum and the Netherlands – Amendment 3, December 2024, available here.
[9] EUAA personnel numbers do not include deployed interpreters by the EUAA in support of asylum and reception activities.
[10] Information provided by the EUAA, 05 March 2026. In the course of 2025, 11 persons were deployed in the Netherlands under two different profiles. These cases are reported separately under each category.
[11] Information provided by the EUAA, 05 March 2026.
[12] Information provided by the EUAA, 05 March 2026. Vulnerability assessments in Greece are performed under reception measures for residents of reception facilities and therefore figures may also reflect non asylum applicants residing is such facilities.
[13] Information provided by the EUAA, 05 March 2026.