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Response of IND to Netherlands Court of Audit Accountability Survey

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The Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) recognises the findings of the Netherlands Court of Audit Accountability Survey (2025), only available in Dutch, published on Wednesday 20 May. The Court examined various issues, including the screening of asylum seekers and family reunification applicants, as well as the management of processing times within the asylum procedure.

Target deadline for screening not met

The Netherlands Court of Audit found that screening is not taking place within the original target period of 14 days. 
The IND is aware of this and shares the concern of the Court, but does note that the 14-day target period was previously not a legal norm. In practice, screening typically takes place after the application interview and before the detailed interview. 
The IND emphasises that potential risks to national security can also be identified at other points in the application process. Throughout the asylum procedure, the IND and its chain partners are alert to signals that may be relevant to public order or national security. If there are concrete indications of potential risks to national security, the IND acts accordingly and relevant organisations are notified immediately. 

Screening part of asylum procedure

Anyone applying for asylum in the Netherlands first goes through an identification and registration process. Biometric data is collected, identity and travel documents are verified, and the information obtained is checked against national and international databases.
The identification and registration process is followed by the application interview, after which the applicant is screened by the IND. The IND consults public online sources and social media, in addition to reviewing information collected during the identification and registration process and the application interview.
Most risks to national security are identified during the identification and registration process, the application interview or the detailed interview. 

Screening earlier under the new asylum procedure

The introduction of the EU Asylum and Migration Pact on 12 June 2026 will change the asylum procedure in the Netherlands. The first step of the new procedure will be Reception and Preparation for Asylum Applications (OVA). During this phase, the IND receives the applicant and prepares their application. This is also when identification, registration and initial security checks take place.
Under the new asylum procedure, screening will take place at an earlier stage of the process, immediately after OVA, allowing us to take action more quickly if any risks emerge. The design and management of the screening process will also be clearer.

Processing times and pending applications

The Netherlands Court of Audit also found that processing times are increasing, and that there is a large backlog of pending applications under the general asylum procedure. The IND recognises that applicants are having to wait longer and longer for a decision. This has significant consequences for them, including with regard to their mental health. In recent years, the IND has been faced with a high volume of applications, increasingly complex working methods, and changing laws and regulations.
The IND is committed to processing asylum applications submitted from 12 June onwards within the new, shorter deadlines, while also continuing to process pending applications. We are working with the Ministry of Justice and Security to improve governance, management information and quality assurance.
The IND is taking the Court’s findings and recommendations to heart and will use them to improve both its organisation and the new asylum procedure. 

Finally, the Netherlands Court of Audit found that improvement measures derived from the IND’s performance objectives have been effective, leading to greater transparency in the procurement of goods and services. This issue has thus been resolved.

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