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Extension of temporary stop of asylum decisions on Sudanese applications
Last update: 20 December 2023
Since 8 July 2023, the IND has temporarily not taken any more decisions on applications by asylum seekers from Sudan. Because of the persistent uncertain situation in Sudan the period of this temporary stop has been extended by six months. Therefore no decisions will be taken on applications for a longer time, nor will any asylum seekers be sent back to Sudan.
The State Secretary of Justice and Security has decided today that the so-called decision and departure moratorium for Sudan will be extended. The House of Representatives (in Dutch: Tweede Kamer) has been informed of this decision.
Developments in Sudan
In large parts of Sudan, the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces have been fighting. Various attempts to reach a cease fire have failed. Although increasingly more information about this conflict is coming to light, there is still too much uncertainty about the development of this situation to be able to take decisions carefully on applications by Sudanese. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (BUZA) is expected to make the next official country report on Sudan at the end of April, and policy will be made on the basis of that report.
Decision and departure moratorium
The extension of the decision moratorium will result in the extension of the statutory decision period of asylum applications by one year, with a maximum decision period of 21 months. In principle this concerns all current applications by asylum seekers with Sudanese nationality and all new asylum applications that are submitted during the decision moratorium. The IND must decide on asylum applications that are older than 21 months.
The departure moratorium means that asylum seekers who actually must go back to Sudan temporarily do not have to do so. There are also exceptions to the decision and departure moratorium for Sudan: the IND can indeed take decisions on applications by asylum seekers who, for example pose a serious danger to public order or national security. Then the application will be rejected but the Sudanese applicant will not be returned.
Temporary stop on decisions for asylum seekers from Sudan | IND