Asylum policy in the Netherlands

The Netherlands grants asylum to aliens who would be in danger in their own country, for instance because they face persecution there on account of their race, religion, nationality or political beliefs. A refugee’s immediate family may also be admitted.

Right to protection
The Netherlands is party to the Geneva Convention on Refugees and the European Convention on Human Rights. These conventions state that every refugee has a right to protection. On the basis of this international law, the Netherlands admits people who would be in danger if they were to return to their own country.

Asylum procedure
The government first seeks to establish whether an asylum seeker does in fact need protection. If so, the asylum seeker is entitled to residence in the Netherlands. If not, he must return to his country of origin. The Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) assesses each asylum application. You can find a description of the procedure for the submission of an asylum application and its assessment on the externe link: website of the IND.

When assessing an application, the IND takes into account the situation in the asylum seeker’s country of origin. The Minister for Immigration and Asylum Policy determines whether or not a given country is deemed safe or unsafe. He reaches this conclusion on the basis of country reports drawn up by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Asylum applications from countries classified as ‘safe’ will generally be rejected.
Facts and figures

Alien’s and refugee passports
An alien’s passport is a Dutch travel document issued to non-Dutch nationals who have a valid residence permit for the Netherlands and are unable to obtain travel documents from their own national authorities.

A refugee passport is issued to aliens who have been accorded refugee status, or who have a mandate declaration issued by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in The Hague, and who are in possession of a valid Dutch residence permit.

Both documents are issued by the municipality.