Refugees again expected to cost Dutch state €1.5bn
9 years ago

Refugees again expected to cost Dutch state €1.5bn

Dutch News  

Finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem said on Wednesday he expects refugees to cost the Dutch state €1.5bn this year, according to public broadcaster NOS. The sum is based on a total of 58,000 refugees – a figure prime minister Mark Rutte also highlighted on Tuesday – and takes into account measures by the Dutch government and EU to reduce numbers. Earlier this week, the NRC said the refugee settlement agency COA, justice ministry and local councils are making plans to take in 93,600 asylum seekers this year, well above the official government figure. He did not answer questions about the maximum number of asylum seekers the Netherlands can handle, but pointed out that figures are four times higher than several years ago.

Dutch  towns  cost  seekers  minister  refugees  dutch  15bn  total  expected  asylum  week  state  numbers  yearthe

History of this topic

Refugees face longer waits for housing, settlement agency warns
2 weeks, 5 days ago

Refugees face longer waits for housing, settlement agency warns

Dutch News  

Plans to stop giving refugees with residency permits priority for social housing will have “worrying consequences” as waiting times increase and they remain stuck in government-run centres, refugee settlement agency COA said on Friday. Housing minister Mona Keijzer said in February that she plans to stop councils giving priority to refugees, who are supposed to move into regular housing within …

Labour's promise to 'end asylum hotels' backfires as numbers rise by 8,500
1 month ago

Labour's promise to 'end asylum hotels' backfires as numbers rise by 8,500

Daily Mail  

The number of asylum seekers living in hotels at the expense of taxpayers has risen by 8,500 under Labour. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: ‘Despite promising to end hotel use for asylum seekers, the numbers have gone up again and they are costing Britons dear. Does the Labour Government really think that letting 96 per cent of illegal immigrants …

Protests stop plans for at least 20 refugee centres: Telegraaf
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Protests stop plans for at least 20 refugee centres: Telegraaf

Dutch News  

Plans for at least 20 refugee centers have either been canceled or delayed due to protests by local residents, the Telegraaf reported on Monday. The refugee settlement agency is facing such a shortage of beds that by the beginning of this year, 10,000 asylum seekers were being housed in hotels at significant additional cost. Last month, MPs passed a motion …

New refugee applications fell 16% last year, big drop in Syrians
1 month, 4 weeks ago

New refugee applications fell 16% last year, big drop in Syrians

Dutch News  

The number of new asylum requests made in the Netherlands fell sharply to 43,900 last year, national statistics agency CBS said on Monday. The decline was particularly notable in the second half of the year, and new applications plunged 44% in the final quarter, the CBS said. The figures, which include December when Assad’s regime fell in Syria, show the …

New asylum seeker laws could cost the immigration service up to €60 million annually
2 months, 1 week ago

New asylum seeker laws could cost the immigration service up to €60 million annually

NL Times  

The new asylum laws that are currently being developed are going to cost the Immigration and Naturalisation Service 25 to 60 million euros extra annually, the Minister of Asylum and Migration, Marjolein Faber, estimated. The group of asylum seekers who will be given fewer rights under the new laws will likely appeal this, and that will result in extra work …

Minister won't put number limit on asylum seekers the Netherlands will take in
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Minister won't put number limit on asylum seekers the Netherlands will take in

NL Times  

Minister Eddy van Hijum does not want to set a number of asylum seekers that the government will allow in the coming years, even after urging from many parties in parliament. That is not very practical for this type of migration because it is “less controllable” than, for example, labor or study migration, the Minister said in a parliamentary debate …

IND paid asylum seekers €36.8m compensation for slow processing
2 months, 2 weeks ago

IND paid asylum seekers €36.8m compensation for slow processing

Dutch News  

The Dutch immigration service had to pay €36.8 million in compensation to refugees last year because it failed to assess their cases within the legal time frame. Asylum seekers receive €100 per day if the IND takes longer than 15 months to decide their case, up to a maximum of €7,500. Fewer refugees Last year, 32,180 people made their first …

Sharp drop in refugees applying for asylum in the Netherlands
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Sharp drop in refugees applying for asylum in the Netherlands

Dutch News  

The number of asylum requests made in the Netherlands fell sharply to almost 45,600 last year, Trouw reported on Tuesday. In 2023, 50,660 people requested asylum in the Netherlands, and in 2022, at the tail end of the coronavirus pandemic which shut down international travel, there were 48,600 requests. Family members applying to join people already granted refugee status in …

Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands now required to pay for municipal shelter
2 months, 4 weeks ago

Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands now required to pay for municipal shelter

NL Times  

Starting January 1, Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands must contribute financially to their municipal shelter if they have an income. Under the new policy, adults are required to pay around 100 euros per month for utilities, such as gas, water, and electricity. A survey conducted by Hogeschool Inholland among 187 Ukrainian refugees highlighted the financial challenges faced by many. The …

Dutch cabinet backs three new laws to restrict refugee rights
3 months, 1 week ago

Dutch cabinet backs three new laws to restrict refugee rights

Dutch News  

The Dutch cabinet has voted in favour of three draft pieces of legislation drawn up by immigration minister Marjolein Faber as part of her plans to bring in “the strictest asylum regime ever”. Faber told reporters on Friday she is fully confident that the council will accept her plans but said if the council is critical “my legal advisors and …

Number of migrants living in hotels soars under Labour as asylum costs top £5bn
4 months ago

Number of migrants living in hotels soars under Labour as asylum costs top £5bn

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The number of asylum seekers living in Home Office hotels …

1,000 religious leaders sign petition against Dutch asylum plans
4 months, 3 weeks ago

1,000 religious leaders sign petition against Dutch asylum plans

Dutch News  

More than 1,100 religious leaders in the Netherlands have signed a petition against the right-wing Dutch government’s “strictest refugee policy ever,” Trouw reported on Thursday. The plans, which include scrapping permanent residency permits, reintroducing border checks, and sending refugees back to “safe” parts of Syria, are “extremely concerning,” the signatories say. They also urge the government to show “justice and …

Arnhem unveils 30-year plan to house 1,700 asylum seekers
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Arnhem unveils 30-year plan to house 1,700 asylum seekers

Dutch News  

The city of Arnhem has agreed a 30-year deal to accommodate 1,700 asylum seekers – more than double its quota under Dutch government rules. “We think that a city like Arnhem, with the capacity we have, can easily offer 2,000 accommodation places for refugees, 1,700 of them through the Coa and 300 for displaced Ukrainians,” Smeulders said. “Wasted talent” “At …

Arnhem unveils 30-year plan to house 1,700 asylum seekers
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Arnhem unveils 30-year plan to house 1,700 asylum seekers

Dutch News  

The city of Arnhem has agreed a 30-year deal to accommodate 1,700 asylum seekers – more than double its quota under Dutch government rules. “We think that a city like Arnhem, with the capacity we have, can easily offer 2,000 accommodation places for refugees, 1,700 of them through the Coa and 300 for displaced Ukrainians,” Smeulders said. “Wasted talent” “At …

Government asylum housing plans to cost millions more than hotels – watchdog
1 year ago

Government asylum housing plans to cost millions more than hotels – watchdog

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The National Audit Office said the Home Office expects …

Refugees were allocated 6% of social housing in 2021
1 year, 2 months ago

Refugees were allocated 6% of social housing in 2021

Dutch News  

Despite claims that refugees with residency permits are being given priority in social housing, they accounted for just 6% of new rent-controlled housing corporation tenants in 2021, according to research by national statistics agency CBS. That year, 169,000 housing corporation homes became available for new tenants and just under 10,000 were allocated to refugee families, the CBS said. In Alkmaar, …

Dutch election candidates make migration a key campaign issue in the crowded Netherlands
1 year, 4 months ago

Dutch election candidates make migration a key campaign issue in the crowded Netherlands

Associated Press  

TER APEL, Netherlands — It is a familiar sight in this remote rural town: a migrant in a headscarf and thick winter coat carrying her belongings to the overcrowded reception center as a storm brews over the flat landscape. Tapper said he plans to vote for anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party which advocates a halt in asylum seekers and …

Dutch election candidates make migration a key campaign issue in the crowded Netherlands
1 year, 4 months ago

Dutch election candidates make migration a key campaign issue in the crowded Netherlands

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Tapper said he plans to vote for anti-Islam lawmaker Geert …

Pressure on asylum reception remains high in 2024, additional places needed
1 year, 4 months ago

Pressure on asylum reception remains high in 2024, additional places needed

NL Times  

The reception of asylum seekers will remain under pressure in 2024, as there will be a high influx and too little outflow of status holders to regular housing. As a result, several tens of thousands of additional shelter places may be needed next year, according to the six-monthly Multi-Year Production Forecast that outgoing State Secretary Christophe van der Maat has …

Refugee forecasts revised down as fewer people come to NL
1 year, 4 months ago

Refugee forecasts revised down as fewer people come to NL

Dutch News  

The cabinet has lowered its forecast of how many refugees will come to the Netherlands in 2023 from 76,000 to a maximum of 60,000, broadcaster NOS reported on Friday. The 76,000 forecast in April led to crisis talks and calls for measures to reduce the flow of new arrivals, following last summer’s chaotic scenes when hundreds of people were forced …

Refugee forecasts revised down as fewer people come to NL
1 year, 4 months ago

Refugee forecasts revised down as fewer people come to NL

Dutch News  

The cabinet has lowered its forecast of how many refugees will come to the Netherlands in 2023 from 76,000 to a maximum of 60,000, broadcaster NOS reported on Friday. The 76,000 forecast in April led to crisis talks and calls for measures to reduce the flow of new arrivals, following last summer’s chaotic scenes when hundreds of people were forced …

Rules to spread refugees nationwide come a step nearer
1 year, 5 months ago

Rules to spread refugees nationwide come a step nearer

Dutch News  

Controversial legislation to ensure all local authorities have to provide a certain number of beds for refugees will now pass in the lower house parliament because a majority of MPs are in favour. Research published by RTL Nieuws a year ago showed that more than half of Dutch local councils have not provided any housing for refugees in the past …

Rules to spread refugees nationwide come a step nearer
1 year, 5 months ago

Rules to spread refugees nationwide come a step nearer

Dutch News  

Controversial legislation to ensure all local authorities have to provide a certain number of beds for refugees will now pass in the lower house parliament because a majority of MPs are in favour. Research published by RTL Nieuws a year ago showed that more than half of Dutch local councils have not provided any housing for refugees in the past …

Dutch caretaker government unveils budget plan to spend 2 billion per year extra to fight poverty
1 year, 6 months ago

Dutch caretaker government unveils budget plan to spend 2 billion per year extra to fight poverty

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The caretaker Dutch government announced …

Dutch caretaker government unveils budget plan to spend 2 billion per year extra to fight poverty
1 year, 6 months ago

Dutch caretaker government unveils budget plan to spend 2 billion per year extra to fight poverty

Associated Press  

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The caretaker Dutch government announced Tuesday that it will spend an extra 2 billion euros per year to tackle poverty in this nation where the gap between rich and poor is shaping up as a major campaign theme ahead of a November general election. The announcement came on Prince’s Day, when the monarch reads a speech …

Dutch asylum policy not an incentive for refugees: research
1 year, 6 months ago

Dutch asylum policy not an incentive for refugees: research

Dutch News  

There is no proof that Dutch policy on asylum is an incentive for refugees to apply for asylum in the Netherlands rather than any other country, research on behalf of the justice ministry knowledge centre WODC has shown. One of government party VVD’s main election campaign proposals is to tighten immigration rules and it has suggested that speeding up asylum …

Dutch asylum policy not an incentive for refugees: research
1 year, 6 months ago

Dutch asylum policy not an incentive for refugees: research

Dutch News  

There is no proof that Dutch policy on asylum is an incentive for refugees to apply for asylum in the Netherlands rather than any other country, research on behalf of the justice ministry knowledge centre WODC has shown. One of government party VVD’s main election campaign proposals is to tighten immigration rules and it has suggested that speeding up asylum …

Ministers ‘would take until 2036 to removed failed asylum seekers at current rate’
1 year, 7 months ago

Ministers ‘would take until 2036 to removed failed asylum seekers at current rate’

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The government would take until 2036 to remove failed asylum seekers …

98% of accommodation spaces for Ukrainian refugees currently occupied
1 year, 8 months ago

98% of accommodation spaces for Ukrainian refugees currently occupied

NL Times  

Every week, approximately 700 to 1,000 Ukrainians fleeing from the war continue to arrive in the Netherlands. Jaap Donker, the director of the Utrecht Safety Region, who has been overseeing the accommodation of Ukrainians and the emergency sheltering of asylum seekers on behalf of all safety regions, stated that by January 1, 2024, 90,000 places should be available. In February, …

German leaders fail to reach breakthrough in dispute over growing cost of hosting migrants
1 year, 10 months ago

German leaders fail to reach breakthrough in dispute over growing cost of hosting migrants

Associated Press  

BERLIN — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised a further 1 billion euros Wednesday for communities struggling to provide housing, schools and other basic services to a growing number of migrants, but failed to reach a breakthrough in talks with state leaders on the underlying issue of federal funding. In the first four months of this year, 101,981 people applied for …

Cost of accommodating asylum seekers expected to be €3bn higher
2 years ago

Cost of accommodating asylum seekers expected to be €3bn higher

Dutch News  

The cost of looking after asylum seekers in 2023 is expected to be €3 billion higher than originally forecast because of an increase in refugees coupled with an accommodation shortage, NRC reported on Tuesday. Asylum minister Eric van der Burg is trying to steer a law through parliament that would allow him to identify locations to accommodate asylum seekers over …

Cost of accommodating asylum seekers expected to be €3bn higher
2 years ago

Cost of accommodating asylum seekers expected to be €3bn higher

Dutch News  

The cost of looking after asylum seekers in 2023 is expected to be €3 billion higher than originally forecast because of an increase in refugees coupled with an accommodation shortage, NRC reported on Tuesday. Asylum minister Eric van der Burg is trying to steer a law through parliament that would allow him to identify locations to accommodate asylum seekers over …

Lineker claim on UK taking ‘far fewer refugees’ than Europe supported by data
2 years ago

Lineker claim on UK taking ‘far fewer refugees’ than Europe supported by data

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Gary Lineker’s claim that the UK takes “far fewer refugees” …

One year of war: 82,000 Ukrainians fled to Netherlands; Third definitely want to return
2 years, 1 month ago

One year of war: 82,000 Ukrainians fled to Netherlands; Third definitely want to return

NL Times  

Around 82,000 Ukrainians have fled to the Netherlands since the war broke out a year ago, Statistics Netherlands reported Thursday. Over a third of Ukrainians in the Netherlands plan to return to their homeland when it’s safe, NOS found after surveying 247 Ukrainian refugees with the Oppora Foundation. In the past year, some 5,000 Red Cross volunteers have helped Ukrainians …

Asylum costs still out of control in the Netherlands after 28 years of warnings
2 years, 2 months ago

Asylum costs still out of control in the Netherlands after 28 years of warnings

NL Times  

The Dutch government has remained incapable of controlling the costs for the reception of asylum seekers because the system is constantly going through a cycle of being built up and broken down again, concluded the Court of Audit after an investigation. Moreover, State Secretary Eric van der Burg, who controls asylum policy for the Cabinet, and the Central Agency for …

Netherlands needs 20,000 more shelter spots for Ukrainian refugees
2 years, 3 months ago

Netherlands needs 20,000 more shelter spots for Ukrainian refugees

NL Times  

The Dutch government believes that the number of Ukrainian refugees present in the Netherlands will continue to increase in the coming period. The Cabinet is considering having Ukrainians who earn an income help pay for their accommodation themselves, said State Secretary Eric van der Burg, who handles asylum issues for the Cabinet. Now that it looks like Ukrainian refugees will …

Dutch municipalities unsure how to handle a new influx of Ukrainian refugees this winter
2 years, 4 months ago

Dutch municipalities unsure how to handle a new influx of Ukrainian refugees this winter

NL Times  

The winter weather in Ukraine will continue to get colder in the coming week as the country struggles to make repairs after Russian attacks took out large portions of its energy infrastructure. Temperatures in Kyiv could fall below -8 degrees Celsius next week, prompting Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra to say the Netherlands will be ready to take more refugees …

100 beds found for young refugees, but 1,700 are needed
2 years, 4 months ago

100 beds found for young refugees, but 1,700 are needed

Dutch News  

The Netherlands’ 344 local authorities have come up with just 100 beds for young asylum seekers who arrived in the country without parents, following an appeal in October for 1,700. Without more beds, there is a ‘real risk’ that some youngsters may end up sleeping on the streets, junior justice minister Eric van der Burg warned at the time. Refugee …

100 beds found for young refugees, but 1,700 are needed
2 years, 4 months ago

100 beds found for young refugees, but 1,700 are needed

Dutch News  

The Netherlands’ 344 local authorities have come up with just 100 beds for young asylum seekers who arrived in the country without parents, following an appeal in October for 1,700. Without more beds, there is a ‘real risk’ that some youngsters may end up sleeping on the streets, junior justice minister Eric van der Burg warned at the time. Refugee …

Refugee numbers top 10,600 in Q3, led by Syrians and Afghans
2 years, 5 months ago

Refugee numbers top 10,600 in Q3, led by Syrians and Afghans

Dutch News  

Over 10,600 people made a first request for asylum status in the Netherlands in the third quarter of this year, according to figures from the immigration service IND. The largest group – 4,600 – came from Syria, followed by nearly 1,000 people from Afghanistan and 935 from Turkey, national statistics agency CBS said, citing figures sourced from the IND. More …

Minister appeals again for councils to house young refugees
2 years, 5 months ago

Minister appeals again for councils to house young refugees

Dutch News  

Junior justice minister Eric van der Burg has made yet another urgent appeal to local councils to come up with beds for refugees – this time for 1,700 places for youngsters who have travelled to the Netherlands without their parents. ‘I would ask you all, as a matter of real urgency, to prevent us reaching an absolute low point,’ Van …

Minister appeals again for councils to house young refugees
2 years, 5 months ago

Minister appeals again for councils to house young refugees

Dutch News  

Junior justice minister Eric van der Burg has made yet another urgent appeal to local councils to come up with beds for refugees – this time for 1,700 places for youngsters who have travelled to the Netherlands without their parents. ‘I would ask you all, as a matter of real urgency, to prevent us reaching an absolute low point,’ Van …

Despite the crisis, the number of beds for refugees has gone down
2 years, 5 months ago

Despite the crisis, the number of beds for refugees has gone down

Dutch News  

The number of beds for asylum seekers has actually fallen, despite government efforts to get local authorities to allocate more places, junior justice minister Eric van der Burg said at the weekend. Many contracts for emergency accommodation between councils and refugee settlement agency COA expired at the end of September and the net reduction in beds is around 1,250, Van …

Despite the crisis, the number of beds for refugees has gone down
2 years, 5 months ago

Despite the crisis, the number of beds for refugees has gone down

Dutch News  

The number of beds for asylum seekers has actually fallen, despite government efforts to get local authorities to allocate more places, junior justice minister Eric van der Burg said at the weekend. Many contracts for emergency accommodation between councils and refugee settlement agency COA expired at the end of September and the net reduction in beds is around 1,250, Van …

Almost 30,000 asylum seekers are waiting to be assessed, nearing 2015 record
2 years, 6 months ago

Almost 30,000 asylum seekers are waiting to be assessed, nearing 2015 record

Dutch News  

Almost 30,000 asylum seekers are waiting to have their cases assessed by the immigration service IND, according to August figures from European statistics agency Eurostat. ‘The longer refugees have to wait for their procedure, the more places are needed in refugee centres,’ spokesman Martijn van der Linden told broadcaster NOS. ‘The fact that the backlog is reaching a new record …

Almost 30,000 asylum seekers are waiting to be assessed, nearing 2015 record
2 years, 6 months ago

Almost 30,000 asylum seekers are waiting to be assessed, nearing 2015 record

Dutch News  

Almost 30,000 asylum seekers are waiting to have their cases assessed by the immigration service IND, according to August figures from European statistics agency Eurostat. ‘The longer refugees have to wait for their procedure, the more places are needed in refugee centres,’ spokesman Martijn van der Linden told broadcaster NOS. ‘The fact that the backlog is reaching a new record …

Municipalities under intense administrative pressure with Ukrainian refugees
2 years, 10 months ago

Municipalities under intense administrative pressure with Ukrainian refugees

NL Times  

Eight in ten Dutch municipalities face increased administrative pressure due to the reception of tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees, NOS reports based on a survey of about half of the municipalities. When the Cabinet decided that municipalities would be responsible for sheltering Ukrainian refugees instead of the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers, they had to spark …

Dutch gov't must compensate Algerian asylum seekers for wrongful detention: Council of State
2 years, 10 months ago

Dutch gov't must compensate Algerian asylum seekers for wrongful detention: Council of State

NL Times  

State Secretary Eric van der Burg of Asylum must compensate at least three Algerian asylum seekers who have exhausted all legal remedies because they were wrongfully detained pending their deportation to Algeria, the Council of State rule. The Algerian asylum seekers in question have exhausted all legal remedies in the Netherlands. The Council of State ruled that Van der Berg …

Explained | The U.K.’s plan to relocate asylum seekers to Rwanda
2 years, 11 months ago

Explained | The U.K.’s plan to relocate asylum seekers to Rwanda

The Hindu  

The story so far: British Home Secretary Priti Patel visited Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, on Thursday, April 14, to sign what both countries have described as an “economic development partnership”, which will bring in force an arrangement to send asylum seekers “unofficially” arriving in the U.K. through the English Channel to Rwanda. Ms. Patel, who signed the deal in …

Cabinet preparing to shelter up to 150,000 Ukrainian refugees
2 years, 11 months ago

Cabinet preparing to shelter up to 150,000 Ukrainian refugees

NL Times  

The Dutch government expects 100,000 to 150,000 Ukrainians to seek shelter in the Netherlands. You don't know what Putin is going to do," said Migration policy director Bart-Jan ter Heerdt in parliament, referring to the Russian president responsible for the invasion of Ukraine. Ter Heerdt stressed the uncertainty in answering parliamentary questions about the scenarios the Justice Ministry is preparing …

Discover Related