Asylum and family reunification: latest developments

On 25 October 2024, the government announced new emergency asylum measures. These measures are outlined in Prime Minister Schoof's letter to the House of Representatives (only in Dutch). These measures do not take effect immediately and are still being worked out in a bill. Until then, there will be no consequences for your asylum application or asylum permit. If there is any new information, we will let you know on this page. 
 

At this moment, family reunification applicants are waiting a long time for a decision. To shorten the waiting time, the IND separates the family reunification applications in 2 groups. 

Do you want to know how much time it takes on average before it is your turn? The IND has made an estimation. See the estimation of your average waiting time on the page When will the IND start with my application for family reunification? 

There are different asylum procedures in the Netherlands. Which procedure you follow depends on your journey and what country you are from. The IND must process asylum applications with small chance of an asylum permit more quickly. Did you apply for asylum in another European country or do you have a European visa? Then you follow the Dublin procedure. Did you come from a safe country of origin or do you have an asylum permit in another EU/EEA country or Switzerland? Then you follow the simplified asylum procedure. These procedures are shorter and you have 1 interview with the IND. When you follow the General Asylum procedure (in Dutch: Algemene Asielprocedure or AA), you have 2 interviews. The application interview and the detailed interview. In the detailed interview you explain extensively about the reasons of your asylum application. 

Decision period of your asylum application

The law states that the IND has 6 months to decide upon an asylum application. This is the legal decision period. The waiting times are increasing. That is why the Dutch government decided to extend the decision period with 9 months. The extension is valid if you apply for asylum between 27 September 2022 and 1 January 2026 at the latest. Many asylum applications are still awaiting a decision and many asylum applications are still being made. 

When the IND starts with your asylum application, differs per procedure. The IND makes an estimate of how long it takes on average before your application is due. In the table below, you read how long it takes on average. 

Waiting time for application interview excludes Syrians

The IND is currently not making decisions on asylum applications from Syrians. They are also not getting a second interview (application interview). Applications from Syrians are therefore not included in the average waiting time for the application interview.

It may take more or less time before your application is due

The waiting times are an average and are intended to provide a general overview. Sometimes the IND starts processing your application earlier or later. When your application is due, depends on your situation and the capacity of the IND. If your application is more complicated to decide on, an employee with additional knowledge is required. If you have an interview, the right employee and interpreter have to be available. And sometimes you need to be brought to your appointment.

Big differences between the waiting times for the detailed interview

It is possible that someone who has been in the Netherlands for a shorter amount of time will have their interview before you. This is because the IND does not process asylum applications in chronological order. The IND processes asylum applications in groups. We do this because special knowledge is needed for specific groups. The waiting time until the detailed interview depends on under what group your asylum applications falls. Within the groups, the IND tries to decide based on the chronological order of receipt. 

Asylum applications safe country

Have you applied for asylum and do you come from a safe country according to the government? Then you will have an interview with the IND within a few weeks.

From 14 December 2024, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) will not decide on asylum applications from Syrians for 6 months. The IND will also not decide on asylum applications from (Palestinian) stateless people who were living in Syria. This is because the situation in Syria is uncertain after the fall of the Assad government. That is why the Minister for Asylum and Migration has imposed a temporary decision stop. Also, forced departure to Syria is (still) not possible while this measure is in place.

Consequences decision stop

The IND will not decide on applications for temporary residence. The current decision stop is for 6 months, but can be ended earlier. The decision stop can also be extended by 6 months. This completely depends on the situation in Syria. As a consequence, the IND will also have more time to decide on the asylum applications.

Consequences for your asylum application

You will only have a first interview (application interview) with the IND. You will not get a second interview (detailed interview) until the IND can decide again.

Consequences for family reunification

Do you already have an asylum permit and a pending application to bring your family member to the Netherlands? The IND will still decide on applications for family reunification.

Situations in which the IND does decide

The decision stop does not apply in the following situations:

• Your asylum application is older than 21 months and the IND has sufficient information. At the moment, there are still many asylum applications that the IND has to decide on. As a result, it can take longer than 21 months before you receive a decision.
• You have told the IND that you have the Syrian nationality, but upon investigation, it turns out that you have another nationality.
• As a (Palestinian) stateless person, you did not make it sufficiently clear that you were living in Syria.
• Another EU-country is responsible for your asylum application. For example, because you have already applied for asylum in that EU-country or have stayed there.
• You already have protection in another EU-country. Or you have been recognised as a refugee elsewhere and have a residence permit there.
• Your application will not be considered on the grounds of non-cooperation in the asylum procedure or because you have left without notice for a longer period of time. This means that the IND does not look at the content of the application.
• The IND has rejected the application because you are a danger to public order or national security.
• You applied for a permanent asylum residence permit, or you applied for an extension of your asylum residence permit.
• You applied for suspension of your departure on medical grounds according to article 64 of the Dutch Aliens Act (in Dutch: Vreemdelingenwet).

Applicants for an asylum permit and family reunification currently wait a long time for a decision. The IND understands that it is difficult that you have to wait such a long time for your decision. There are several reasons for the long waiting time. We explain these reasons briefly. We also explain what measures we take to give you clarity about your future as quickly as possible.

Causes of longer waiting times at IND

Many asylum applications

The number of refugees remains higher than the amount of decisions the IND takes. As a result, the number of applications continues to rise. Also, the number of unaccompanied minor refugees that come to the Netherlands increases. Unaccompanied minors are children under the age of 18 who have fled without their parents. Furthermore, the number of applications for family reunification has increased. 

Combination of many applications and capacity

Many people apply for asylum or family reunification in the Netherlands. The IND works hard to decide on all these applications. Yet it remains busy and the waiting times are long. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to decide in time by hiring more people. Deciding on an asylum application or family reunification application is complicated and must be done with care. Training new employees takes time.

Approach waiting times

The IND hires new employees to shorten waiting times. Deciding on an application is complicated and must be done with care. As a result, training new employees takes a lot of time. Therefore, the effect of hiring more employees is not immediately visible. In addition, the IND hires employees who can, for example, take over the administration of the decision-making staff. This gives the decision-making staff more time to decide on asylum and family reunification applications.