Statistics

Netherlands

Country Report: Statistics Last updated: 10/07/24

Author

Dutch Council for Refugees Visit Website

Overview of statistical practice

The Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) publishes Asylum Trends with statistics on asylum and family reunification applications on a monthly basis.[1] These do not indicate decisions on asylum applications, however. While this report provides some statistical information on the year 2023, various data was not made publicly available by the time of writing of this report.

Applications in 2023

Statistics on applicants concern people, including children and dependents.

  Total applicants in 2023 First time applicants in 2023 Repeated applicants in 2023
Total 39,767 38,377 1,390
Breakdown by top 10 countries of origin
Syria 13,109 13,028 81
Türkiye At least 2,862 2,862 Not available
Eritrea 2,407 2,345 62
Yemen At least 1,982 1,982 Not available
Somalia 1,851 1,807 44
Algeria 1,643 1,556 87
Iraq 1,600 1,495 105
Unknown[2] At least 1,231 1,231 Not available
Iran 1,215 1,122 93
Morocco 1,033 884 149
Others 10,834 10,065 769

Source: IND, Asylum trends, available at: http://bit.ly/3YJwEXS.

Granting of protection status at first instance: figures for 2023

Pending applications at the end of 2023: 49,860[3]

Based on Eurostat explanatory texts, this data refers to the number of persons covered by rejection/protection decisions, rather than the number of decisions (which may cover more than one person).

  Total decisions in 2023 (1) Total rejections (2) Refugee status Subsidiary protection Humanitarian protection (3)
Breakdown by top 10 countries of origin of applicants
Total 17,910[4] 3,425 3,290 10,460 735
Syria 7,895 310 565 6,940 85
Türkiye 1,120 70 890 5 155
Eritrea 870 110 10 730 25
Yemen 1,745 15 35 1,675 20
Somalia 810 235 45 495 35
Algeria 330 325 5 0 0
Iraq 370 150 25 165 25
Unknown[5] 350 80 85 145 40
Iran 335 65 225 10 35
Morocco 280 270 10 0 0

Source: Eurostat, First instance decisions on applications by type of decision, citizenship, age and sex – annual aggregated data, available at: https://bit.ly/3VAXROP.

Note 1: Statistics on decisions cover the decisions taken throughout the year, regardless of whether they concern applications lodged that year or in previous years.

Note 2: Due to lack of disaggregated data, rejections include both rejections on the merits and inadmissibility, etc rejections.

Note 3: Humanitarian protection in the Dutch context refers to the ‘derived asylum status’ for family members, Some family members who were not eligible for international protection themselves, but who came to the Netherlands together with a family member who was eligble for international protection, might receive a ‘derived asylum status’ upon their asylum request that was originally declined. This includes, spouses, partners, children and parents of minor children.[6] 

Applications and granting of protection status at first instance: rates for 2023

  Overall rejection rate Overall protection rate Refugee rate Subsidiary

protection rate

Humanitarian

protection rate

Total 19.2% 80.8% 18.4% 58.4% 4.1%
 

Breakdown by countries of origin of the total numbers

 

Syria 4% 96% 7.2% 87.9% 1.1%
Türkiye 6.3% 93.7% 79.7% 0.45% 10.2%
Eritrea 12.6% 87.4% 1.1% 83.9% 2.9%
Yemen 0.9% 99.1% 2% 95.9% 1.1%
Somalia 28% 71% 5.5% 61% 4.3%
Algeria 98.5% 1.5% 1.5% 0% 0%
Iraq 40.6% 59.4% 7.6% 44.6% 6.7%
Unknown[7] 22.9% 77.1% 24.3% 41.4% 11.4%
Iran 19.4% 80.6% 67.2% 3% 10.4%
Morocco 96.4% 3.6% 3.6% 0% 0%

Source of the percentages: Percentages calculated by the Dutch Refugee Council, on the basis of the raw data from Eurostat provided in the table above.

Notes:

  • Due to lack of disaggregated data, these rates are calculated based on total decisions, including inadmissibility decisions, which do not always imply that the persons did not have a, potentially recognised, protection need.
  • These rates are calculated including humanitarian protection among positive and total decisions. 

Gender/age breakdown of the total number of applicants: 2023

  Adults Children
Accompanied Unaccompanied
Number 27,630 10,555 5,804
Percentage 72.4% 27.6% *

  Men Women Unknown
Number 29,195 8,975 20
Percentage 76.4% 23.5% <0.1%

Source: Eurostat (with the exception of UAMs)

Note: The gender breakdown (Men/Women) applies to all applicants, not only adults.

* IND does not include unaccompanied minors in the total number of applicants.

First instance and appeal decision rates: 2023

National authorities did not provide detailed statistics on second instance decisions at the time of writing of the report.

 

 

[1] IND, Asylum trends, available at: http://bit.ly/3YJwEXS.

[2] Unknown nationality refers to applicants who cannot prove their nationality. They either have a nationality or they are stateless, but they are not able to prove this or the IND does not believe the nationality they claim to have. See the website of the Government, available in Dutch at: https://bit.ly/3PKWrNY and Workinstruction 2018/12 IND as identifying partner: changing identification registration by the IND, available in Dutch at: https://bit.ly/3vFpc80.

[3] IND, Jaarcijfers 2023, pending at the end of 2023 in Track 1: 4,030; Track 2: 190; Track 4 (first time applicants, repeated applicants, applicants whose applications had to be reassessed after a court decision, applicants who changed Track and Resettled applicants): 45,640, available in Dutch at: https://bit.ly/3TTfeJw.

[4] Total decisions including Track 1 (Dublin) and 2 (Safe countries of origin and EU-BIPs), Repeated applicants, applicants whose applications had to be reassessed after a court decision, applicants who changed Track and Resettled applicants: 34,980, source: IND, Jaarcijfers 2023, available in Dutch at: https://bit.ly/3TTfeJw.

[5] Unknown nationality refers to applicants who cannot prove their nationality. They either have a nationality or they are stateless, but they are not able to prove this or the IND does not believe the nationality they claim to have. See the website of the Government, available in Dutch at: https://bit.ly/3PKWrNY and Workinstruction 2018/12 IND as identifying partner: changing identification registration by the IND, available in Dutch at: https://bit.ly/3vFpc80.

[6] Based on information received by the IND in March 2024.

[7] Unknown nationality refers to applicants who cannot prove their nationality. They either have a nationality or they are stateless, but they are not able to prove this or the IND does not believe the nationality they claim to have. See the website of the Government, available in Dutch at: https://bit.ly/3PKWrNY and Workinstruction 2018/12 IND as identifying partner: changing identification registration by the IND, available in Dutch at: https://bit.ly/3vFpc80.

Table of contents

  • Statistics
  • Overview of the legal framework
  • Overview of the main changes since the previous report update
  • Asylum Procedure
  • Reception Conditions
  • Detention of Asylum Seekers
  • Content of International Protection
  • ANNEX I – Transposition of the CEAS in national legislation