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EUAA starts to support asylum processes in the Netherlands

Last update: 30 January 2024

The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) has offered to support the Netherlands in executing its asylum process as of 1 February. At the end of December 2023 Director-General of the IND Rhodia Maas placed her signature under the EUAA Operational Plan to this effect.

EUAA is the European Union Agency in the area of asylum and reception. Almost all asylum and reception organisations in the EU have joined this agency. EUAA provides Member States that experience migration pressure with operational support and supports Member States, for example with the implementation of EU asylum policy. Besides the Netherlands, at present EUAA does so in 12 other European countries, also including Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Lithuania, Romania and Belgium.

The capacity from EUAA is about 20 staff members coming from different Member States. The first experts who come to the Netherlands will initially help with the processing of applications by Syrian asylum seekers. Based on the applicable country policy, Syrians have a good chance that their applications will be granted. During the past months they have represented a third of all current applications in the Netherlands. 

Rhodia Maas: ‘I am very pleased with the arrival of these staff members. Cooperation with the EUAA shows that the IND is making every effort to reduce waiting times and give applicants clarity more quickly, so that they know where they stand. I also view this cooperation as a good example of innovative working. Not only will it help to relieve the pressure on  the execution of the process, but this cooperation will also contribute to the reciprocal development of knowledge and innovation at both IND and EUAA.’ 

In the Netherlands, the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) has already gained good experiences with the support from EUAA. Since the end of 2022 EUAA experts in the field of asylum reception and counselling have worked in Ter Apel. In addition, the EUAA has delivered a substantial number of temporary residential units for the accommodation of about 500 asylum seekers. 

Artemios Tavoularis, who has acted as EUAA coordinator for the COA for a year and a half, is now going to do this for the IND as well. Tavoularis: ‘I am looking forward to cooperating with the IND and I hope that we will produce good results with each other.’