Fewer asylum requests in Q1 2023

In Q1 2023, a total of 6,910 asylum seekers submitted a first-time asylum application. This is 3,835 less than in the previous quarter, but 460 more than in the same quarter one year previously. The majority of asylum seekers came from Syria. Other nationalities often submitting applications included Yemenis and Somalians. Although Syrians constituted the largest group of asylum seekers, the number of asylum requests fell by 63 percent on the previous quarter. The number of asylum requests by Turkish nationals declined as well (-32 percent).

More Syrian and Turkish family members

In Q1 2023, the Netherlands received 1,895 following relatives. This is 320 more than in the previous quarter, but 675 less than in Q1 2022. The majority of following family members came from Syria (1,085) and Turkey (265). Other countries of origin of following relatives included Eritrea and Yemen. Compared to the final quarter of 2022, there were mainly more Syrian and Turkish following family members (increasing by 320 and 50, respectively).

International developments

In Q1 2023, altogether 105 Ukrainians filed a first-time asylum request, approximately one third of the total in Q4 2022. In addition, 90 Russian nationals submitted a first asylum application. This is lower than in Q4 2022, when there were 225.

Most Ukrainians entering the Netherlands as of early 2022 have received temporary protection through the EU's Temporary Protection Directive and are allowed to stay in the Netherlands until 4 March 2024. Under this directive, Ukrainians do not have to go through an asylum procedure. However, a number of Ukrainians were not covered by this directive and were still required to follow an asylum procedure. These asylum requests are retroactively counted towards the month of their registration in the Netherlands. As a result, the provisional figures released by CBS may deviate from the figures released by the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND).