More asylum requests and fewer following family members in 2023

01/02/2024 15:00

In 2023, over 38 thousand people submitted a first application for asylum in the Netherlands. This is 8 percent more than one year previously. In contrast, the number of following family members decreased by 7 percent, relative to 2022. Similar to recent years, Syrian asylum seekers constitute the largest group. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this based on the most recent asylum figures from the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND).

The second half of 2023 saw the most asylum requests; over 23 thousand out of a total of over 38 thousand. Ukrainians made up 600 of all first asylum applications; 460 fewer than one year previously.

First applications for asylum
Jaartal	Kwartaal	Asylum requests (x 1,000)	Following family members (x 1,000)
2018	Q1	4155	2140
2018	Q2	4320	1970
2018	Q3	6205	1280
2018	Q4	5835	1070
2019	Q1	5380	845
2019	Q2	5190	890
2019	Q3	5870	1200
2019	Q4	6100	1245
2020	Q1	4470	1065
2020	Q2	1255	260
2020	Q3	4100	860
2020	Q4	3895	1680
2021	Q1	2720	1510
2021	Q2	3340	2600
2021	Q3	8815	2780
2021	Q4	9870	3230
2022	Q1	6450	2570
2022	Q2	7325	3165
2022	Q3	11015	3650
2022	Q4	10745	1545
2023	Q1	6940	1905
2023	Q2	7950	2630
2023	Q3	10510	2600
2023	Q4	12975	2990
2023

First applications for asylum
Jaartal	Kwartaal	Asylum requests (x 1,000)	Following family members (x 1,000)
2018	Q1	4155	2140
2018	Q2	4320	1970
2018	Q3	6205	1280
2018	Q4	5835	1070
2019	Q1	5380	845
2019	Q2	5190	890
2019	Q3	5870	1200
2019	Q4	6100	1245
2020	Q1	4470	1065
2020	Q2	1255	260
2020	Q3	4100	860
2020	Q4	3895	1680
2021	Q1	2720	1510
2021	Q2	3340	2600
2021	Q3	8815	2780
2021	Q4	9870	3230
2022	Q1	6450	2570
2022	Q2	7325	3165
2022	Q3	11015	3650
2022	Q4	10745	1545
2023	Q1	6940	1905
2023	Q2	7950	2630
2023	Q3	10510	2600
2023	Q4	12975	2990
2023

Over a third of asylum seekers are from Syria

The majority of asylum seekers in 2023 were from Syria, similar to previous years. There were 13 thousand first asylum requests, which is slightly more than in 2022. People from Turkey and Eritrea constitute the other larger groups of asylum seekers. The latter group in particular increased by 72 percent year on year.

First asylum applications, main nationalities
Jaartal	Kwartaal	Syrian (x 1,000)	Turkish (x 1,000)	Eritrean (x 1,000)	Yemeni (x 1,000)	Other (x 1,000)
2020	Q1	1.095	0.25	0.1	0.135	2.89
2020	Q2	0.36	0.05	0.04	0.065	0.74
2020	Q3	1.37	0.45	0.11	0.125	2.045
2020	Q4	1.245	0.24	0.12	0.08	2.21
2021	Q1	0.9	0.09	0.11	0.075	1.545
2021	Q2	1.015	0.375	0.175	0.105	1.67
2021	Q3	2.545	1.535	0.205	0.32	4.21
2021	Q4	3.92	0.455	0.275	0.69	4.53
2022	Q1	1.625	0.36	0.25	0.525	3.69
2022	Q2	2.245	0.695	0.255	0.55	3.58
2022	Q3	4.595	0.935	0.465	0.68	4.34
2022	Q4	4.185	0.695	0.4	0.675	4.79
2023	Q1	1.555	0.475	0.385	0.49	4.035
2023	Q2	2.375	0.505	0.505	0.52	4.045
2023	Q3	4.32	0.875	0.75	0.415	4.15
2023	Q4	4.775	1.01	0.71	0.56	5.92
2023

First asylum applications, main nationalities
Jaartal	Kwartaal	Syrian (x 1,000)	Turkish (x 1,000)	Eritrean (x 1,000)	Yemeni (x 1,000)	Other (x 1,000)
2020	Q1	1.095	0.25	0.1	0.135	2.89
2020	Q2	0.36	0.05	0.04	0.065	0.74
2020	Q3	1.37	0.45	0.11	0.125	2.045
2020	Q4	1.245	0.24	0.12	0.08	2.21
2021	Q1	0.9	0.09	0.11	0.075	1.545
2021	Q2	1.015	0.375	0.175	0.105	1.67
2021	Q3	2.545	1.535	0.205	0.32	4.21
2021	Q4	3.92	0.455	0.275	0.69	4.53
2022	Q1	1.625	0.36	0.25	0.525	3.69
2022	Q2	2.245	0.695	0.255	0.55	3.58
2022	Q3	4.595	0.935	0.465	0.68	4.34
2022	Q4	4.185	0.695	0.4	0.675	4.79
2023	Q1	1.555	0.475	0.385	0.49	4.035
2023	Q2	2.375	0.505	0.505	0.52	4.045
2023	Q3	4.32	0.875	0.75	0.415	4.15
2023	Q4	4.775	1.01	0.71	0.56	5.92
2023

Mainly young men apply for first asylum request

Three quarters of asylum seekers submitting their first asylum application in 2023 were men. The percentage was higher among those from Syria and Yemen, at 84 and 83 percent respectively. The majority of asylum seekers were under the age of 35 when applying for asylum. Nearly 3 in 10 of them were even under the age of 18, and nearly half of those from Eritrea were under age.

Following family members, main nationalities
Jaar	Kwartaal	Syrian (x 1,000)	Turkish (x 1,000)	Yemeni (x 1,000)	Other (x 1,000)
2020	Q1	0.32	0.02	0.08	0.66
2020	Q2	0.07	0.01	0.02	0.16
2020	Q3	0.36	0.17	0.06	0.29
2020	Q4	0.72	0.06	0.28	0.63
2021	Q1	0.77	0.18	0.20	0.37
2021	Q2	1.64	0.14	0.19	0.64
2021	Q3	1.79	0.27	0.12	0.61
2021	Q4	2.25	0.15	0.15	0.69
2022	Q1	1.75	0.14	0.10	0.59
2022	Q2	2.25	0.26	0.12	0.54
2022	Q3	2.48	0.49	0.11	0.58
2022	Q4	0.77	0.22	0.05	0.52
2023	Q1	1.09	0.27	0.08	0.47
2023	Q2	1.75	0.33	0.20	0.36
2023	Q3	1.75	0.30	0.31	0.25
2023	Q4	2.12	0.26	0.24	0.39
* Provisional figures

Following family members, main nationalities
Jaar	Kwartaal	Syrian (x 1,000)	Turkish (x 1,000)	Yemeni (x 1,000)	Other (x 1,000)
2020	Q1	0.32	0.02	0.08	0.66
2020	Q2	0.07	0.01	0.02	0.16
2020	Q3	0.36	0.17	0.06	0.29
2020	Q4	0.72	0.06	0.28	0.63
2021	Q1	0.77	0.18	0.20	0.37
2021	Q2	1.64	0.14	0.19	0.64
2021	Q3	1.79	0.27	0.12	0.61
2021	Q4	2.25	0.15	0.15	0.69
2022	Q1	1.75	0.14	0.10	0.59
2022	Q2	2.25	0.26	0.12	0.54
2022	Q3	2.48	0.49	0.11	0.58
2022	Q4	0.77	0.22	0.05	0.52
2023	Q1	1.09	0.27	0.08	0.47
2023	Q2	1.75	0.33	0.20	0.36
2023	Q3	1.75	0.30	0.31	0.25
2023	Q4	2.12	0.26	0.24	0.39
* Provisional figures

Slightly fewer family reunifications

In 2023, there were slightly over 10 thousand family member arrivals in the Netherlands; 800 fewer than in the previous year. This is largely due to fewer following family members from Syria and Eritrea arriving in the Netherlands, however, the number from Yemen doubled.

First asylum applications, main nationalities, 2023
Leeftijd	Aged under 18 (x 1,000)	18-24 yrs (x 1,000)	25-34 yrs (x 1,000)	35-44 yrs (x 1,000)	45-54 yrs (x 1,000)	55-64 yrs (x 1,000)	60 yrs and over (x 1,000)
Syrian	3.75	2.45	3.03	1.95	1.30	0.45	0.12
Turkish	0.59	0.49	0.79	0.55	0.39	0.06	0.01
Eritrean	1.11	0.61	0.38	0.13	0.07	0.03	0.02
Yemeni	0.37	0.49	0.71	0.33	0.07	0.02	0.01

First asylum applications, main nationalities, 2023
Leeftijd	Aged under 18 (x 1,000)	18-24 yrs (x 1,000)	25-34 yrs (x 1,000)	35-44 yrs (x 1,000)	45-54 yrs (x 1,000)	55-64 yrs (x 1,000)	60 yrs and over (x 1,000)
Syrian	3.75	2.45	3.03	1.95	1.30	0.45	0.12
Turkish	0.59	0.49	0.79	0.55	0.39	0.06	0.01
Eritrean	1.11	0.61	0.38	0.13	0.07	0.03	0.02
Yemeni	0.37	0.49	0.71	0.33	0.07	0.02	0.01

In 2023, 6 in 10 following family members were women, and nearly half of them were aged under 18. Of those from Syria and Yemen, 6 in 10 were under age.

Sources

StatLine - Asylum requests and family reunification; nationality, sex and age

Over a third of asylum seekers are from Syria

Mainly young men apply for first asylum request

Slightly fewer family reunifications

Sources

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