IND speaks about asylum influx in technical briefing in House of Representatives
The Immigration and Naturalisation Service has to decide on more asylum application in the coming period than previously forecast. Before 2021, account was taken of an influx of approximately 18,000 first asylum applications, but a number is now expected between 22,000 and 24,000 first asylum applications. This results in as major job for the IND, said tactical manager Alvin Hasken Wednesday during a technical briefing in the Dutch House of Representatives.
The House of Representatives invited Hasken, employed at the application centre in Ter Apel, together with the Director-General for Migration and representatives of the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) and the Repatriation and Departure Service (DT&V), to speak about the in influx, reception and outflow of asylum seekers. Prior to the budget debate with the State Secretary, the House also wanted to ask the implementing organisations about the current situation.
More asylum applications than expected
During the technical briefing, Hasken stated that, at present, the influx is not as high as in 2015 during the Syria crisis. At the same time however many more people are applying for asylum than expected and for whom the IND has been funded. The inflowing cases are more complex than before: more people are entering who rely on asylum on the basis of their sexual orientation or religion, or who are minors. These cases require more time and capacity of the IND.
Extra deployment
In order to deal as well as possible with the increase and to settle the applications within the statutory time limits, the IND has taken a number of measures, explained Hasken to the House of Representatives. For example there is extra deployment to application interviews: besides Budel and Ter Apel, these are also interviews in Utrecht and Zevenaar. In addition a choice was made to settle the group of Afghan evacuees who recently entered in a separate project, so that they will not all enter in Ter Apel. In the meantime it is being examined whether people journeying in connection with family reunification can apply at a different place in future.
New staff members
The IND has also permanently employed about 80 staff members of the task force – that was temporarily active in eliminating backlogs. In addition, new interview and decision-making staff are being recruited. Recently, the basic asylum training was renewed as well, so that staff members can be deployed more quickly in the process. And project-based work is being done where possible, in order to deal with target-group oriented applications.