Applying for asylum in the Netherlands

Applying for asylum in the Netherlands

Many refugees who intend to seek asylum in the Netherlands are looking for information about asylum procedures in the countries of the mills, especially as it has become one of the best European asylum countries, especially towards Syrian refugees who fled their country in search of safety and a future for their children.

The question that most refugees ask is: “What is the asylum procedure in the mill countries? How long does it take?

In the Netherlands you can obtain an asylum residence permit:

- If you fear persecution because of your race, religion, nationality, political affiliation, or because you belong to a specific social group.

- If you fear the death penalty, torture, or any other inhumane treatment. 

- If you are afraid of becoming a victim of random violence because of the war in your country of origin.

- If you have been traumatized by the events in your country of origin.

"Registration" stage

If you enter the Netherlands by road and want to apply for asylum, you must go to the refugee accommodation center in Ter Apel, and you can get a free transport ticket from any Dutch police station to go to Ter Apel from anywhere in the Netherlands.

If you arrive by air at Schiphol airport or any Dutch port, you must then register your arrival with the Royal Military Police, after which you will be escorted to a closed accommodation center in Schiphol (Justitieel Complex Schiphol).

After a refugee has applied for asylum in the Netherlands, the “registration” phase begins, which usually takes three days and may take a little longer sometimes due to overcrowding.

During the registration stage, you fill in the registration form and with this form the IND will obtain important information about you in advance, such as questions about where you live, your family and travel.

You must answer briefly the question about the reason for your asylum application. The IND uses this data to determine how your asylum procedure will proceed next. Your personal data is recorded, your photograph and fingerprints are taken, your clothes and bags are searched, and your phone is taken and searched, and returned to you. as soon as possible.

Applying for asylum in the Netherlands

"Initial session"

Then you have your first interview with the IND which is the 'initial hearing' where the IND officer will ask you questions about where you live, your family, your documents and your travel to the Netherlands.

At this point your answers are considered “important”, so your statement must be complete and accurate, and you must also briefly state why you are seeking asylum in the Netherlands. The IND uses this data to be able to plan the correct type of procedure.

It is noteworthy that during all your interviews with the “IND”, the staff of the refugee aid organization “VWN” and your lawyer, an independent sworn translator is used. If you cannot understand the translator well or you notice that the translator does not understand you, or does not translate your story well, report that's right during the interview.

The staff of the refugee aid organization "VluchtelingenWerk" or "VWN" helps you through all the asylum procedures to go through the process accurately. They explain your IND and your lawyer's letters and support you in establishing your asylum story.

They can also help you send important documents to the Netherlands. At your request or that of your lawyer, someone from VWN can attend the hearings to support you and make sure you get enough space to tell your story. The organization can also help you find acquaintances or family members.

Rest and prepare:

After the registration stage, the so-called “rest and preparation” period begins, which may extend from six days to a whole year, and because of the precautionary measures to limit the spread of the Corona virus, the refugee was waiting for a long period of up to about a year, but in the past three months, the period became less after The easing of Corona restrictions and due to the lack of refugees.

Syrian refugees at this stage obtain a temporary residence permit for one year before starting the detailed investigation procedures to grant a residence permit for five years.

You are given a temporary bank card and a health insurance card for a year. A single asylum seeker receives 59 euros a week for food, clothes and pocket money to cover other expenses, while a family with two children receives about 117.04 euros a week.

Children must also attend a Dutch language school in a temporary asylum center.

In the temporary accommodation center you will be given a medical examination and the IND uses this medical examination to assess whether you can make a good statement during the interview with the IND.

Then the VWN staff will tell you about the next steps during your asylum procedure, you will get to know your lawyer who is appointed for you by the state and, if you are staying in an asylum center, your first meeting with the lawyer will take place in his office.

At the accommodation center you are given by COA a transportation card to go to your lawyer. The lawyer guides you through your asylum procedure and helps you prepare for the detailed hearing. You also discuss with your lawyer the initial hearing and whether you noticed any errors in it or would like to make additions to it. 

Although the attorney is appointed to you by the state, he or she is independent, and VWN employees are independent.

It is noteworthy that there is no fixed period for these procedures that precede the detailed hearings as each case is considered individually, and also depends on luck and the speed of work of the person responsible for your asylum file at the IND.