Dutch asylum numbers a third lower than a year ago

Asylum applications in the Netherlands have fallen below 600 per week for the first time this year, according to figures from the asylum ministry. This represents a substantial decrease compared to the previous year, when the weekly average was around 1,000, as reported by Volkskrant. The decline is primarily attributed to a reduction in family reunification requests, with the number of relatives joining people with refugee status dropping from approximately 300 per week before the summer to between 110 and 120 in recent weeks.

Syrians, who have been a significant group of asylum seekers in the Netherlands since 2022, saw a 39% increase in family members arriving in 2025, with 16,500 individuals arriving, primarily from Syria. However, tighter EU rules on family reunification implemented in June under the European migration pact could be behind the recent drop in applications.

The ministry has not yet provided a detailed explanation for the decrease, having only started publishing weekly breakdowns of the figures since late June. Applications for asylum are reportedly falling across Europe, with the EU asylum agency reporting a 17% decrease in first-half 2026 applications compared to the same period last year, with a notable decline in applications from Venezuelans and Syrians.