Asylum approvals fall, rejections soar in Netherlands

The Netherlands experienced a significant rise in asylum application rejections in 2025, with the number of denials surpassing approvals, NOS reports.

Dutch authorities issued 15,550 initial decisions on new asylum applications last year. Of these, 8,120 were rejected—a 56% increase compared with 2024—while 7,430 applications were approved.

Decisions concerning Syrian nationals, historically the largest group of asylum seekers, fell sharply due to a moratorium following the overthrow of the Assad regime. Only 390 decisions were issued for Syrian citizens, with 28 granted residence permits. This contrasts starkly with the previous year, when 10,700 decisions were made regarding Syrians.

The total number of individuals granted refugee status dropped to 3,400, a 35% decrease, while residence permits issued on humanitarian grounds increased by a comparable margin, highlighting a shift in the Netherlands’ approach to asylum and migration.

By Vafa Guliyeva