The IND will reassess Sudanese asylum residence permits
On 18 December 2019, Minister for Migration Broekers-Knol informed the House of Representatives that the policy on Sudan would be amended and that a number of previously granted asylum residence permits would be reassessed. This concerns temporary asylum residence permits which were granted because there was an unsafe situation in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile. The situation in these areas has improved in recent years, and therefore the IND will reassess these permits. This was laid down in the country-specific policy of the IND by order WBV 2020/1 of 12 January 2020. Here we explain what the IND will do.
Safe areas
From the official report of 3 October 2019 it becomes evident that the situation has improved in a number of areas of Sudan. The areas Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile have become safer. Asylum seekers who request protection only because they come from these regions will now not be granted an asylum residence permit for the mere fact that they come from these regions.
The group
The IND will reassess asylum residence permits of refugees from these regions. This will only be done for refugees who:
- still possessed a temporary asylum residence permit on 12 January 2020 on the basis of Section 29(1)(b) of the Aliens Act 2000; and
- were granted a residence permit only because they were unsafe in these areas at the time.
Does this apply to you? Then you do not need to do anything. You will receive a letter from the IND.
Letter from the IND
The IND will send a letter to refugees who fall into this group. In this letter, the IND explains the procedure. The IND may decide to revoke the residence permit. But there can possibly be reasons for someone to be unable to return, even if the situation is safe. The letter will tell what refugees should do in that case.
The IND will decide within six months which permits will be reassessed. Sudanese refugees do not fall into this group if they have not received a letter before 1 November 2020. In that case, the IND will not reassess your residence permit because of this changed policy.