Frequently Asked Questions

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The Dutch Council for Resupports and assists refugees in the Netherlands. We stand by them during the asylum procedure, with family reunification, and throughout the integration process. We also advocate for the rights and interests of refugees at local, national, and European levels.

Most refugees come from countries experiencing war or repression. In recent years, many refugees arriving in the Netherlands came from Syria, Ukraine and Eritrea.

When someone receives a (temporary) residence permit, they are referred to as a “status holder.” Status holders are then matched with a municipality and wait in an asylum seekers’ centre (azc) for their own home. Status holders may work, must pass their integration exam, and, in some cases, can bring family members to join them.

A refugee is someone who has fled their home country because of war, violence or well-founded fear of persecution. An asylum seeker is someone who asks another country for protection by submitting an application for asylum.

As of January 1, 2025, according to UNHCR figures, there were 263,411 refugees in the Netherlands. The number of asylum applications in the Netherlands has decreased in the past year, from 38,377 in 2023 to 32,175 in 2024.

There are approximately 120,000 Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands, mainly women and children.

No — there is no refugee problem. The number of asylum applications in the Netherlands has decreased, and no more refugees come here than to neighbouring countries. However, there is a reception problem caused by ongoing budget cuts and the closure of reception locations.

Refugees in the Netherlands receive basic provisions such as food and shelter. If they have personal assets, they may be required to contribute to their reception costs. The claim that refugees receive everything for free — such as housing and a driver’s licence — is incorrect.

Only a small share of asylum seekers in the Netherlands come from countries considered safe. In 2024, of 32,175 first asylum applications, only 5 % were from safe countries, and in recent years 96 % of these applications have been rejected.

In 2024, 912,355 people applied for protection in Europe. About 25 % sought asylum in Germany (229,750), followed by Spain (164,035) and Italy (151,120). The Netherlands ranks seventh with 32,175 applications.

The asylum and migration pact is a series of agreements on refugee reception within the EU. According to the Dutch Council for Refugees, it does not solve the underlying problems; it allows countries to buy out their responsibilities and makes it easier to detain refugees at external borders.

Pushbacks are the illegal practice of forcibly returning refugees and migrants across European external borders, preventing them from seeking asylum. They often involve severe violence.