40% Decrease in Number of Asylum Applications in Netherlands in 2020
About a 40 percent decrease has been marked in the number of persons who sought international protection in the Netherlands during 2020, according to the figures published by the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND).
The recent IND report has revealed that during last year nearly 14 thousand persons applied for the first time for asylum in the Netherlands, AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports.
Citizens of Syria were interested the most in seeking asylum in this country.
The number of applications marked a significant decrease during quarter two when the Coronavirus pandemic started to spread in other countries widely, and many countries decided to impose entry restrictions and other bans in an effort to stop the further spread of the virus.
During the same quarter, the number of asylum applications was 1,255, about a 76 percent decrease year-on-year.
In April 2020 was recorded the most profound decline in the number of applications for international protection (270) in the Netherlands since 2013.
From May until September 2002, the number of asylum applications marked a slight increase in the Netherlands. A total of 4,100 persons applied for international protection during quarter three, a 30 percent decrease compared to 2019 figures.
During the final quarter of 2020, a total of 3,895 persons sought international protection for the first time, a slight decline compared to the previous year.
Citizens of Syria applied the most for international protection in the Netherlands, accounting for about 30 percent of the total (4,070) in 2020. Compared to 2019 figures, the number of Syrian nationals seeking asylum in the Netherlands rose by 395. The statistics show that Syria is the only country where the number of asylum applications in 2020 was higher than in 2019.
Last year, Algerians (955) applied more for asylum in the Netherlands than Turkish nationality. Besides, a total of 775 asylum seekers from Morocco and 635 Nigerians came to the Netherlands last year.
The Coronavirus pandemic pushed a large number of embassies to close their doors in quarter 2 of 2020, temporarily blocking the issuance of residence permits as well as other services. However, during quarter three and quarter four, the situation started to get better, as many embassies started to resume their work.
According to the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) report, approximately 40,900 persons sought asylum in the European Union countries during November 2020. The figures are still lower than the pre-pandemic ones, asserting that the current COVID-19 situation continues to affect the number of asylum applications.
