An audit by the Dutch Inspectorate for Justice and Security (Inspectie Justitie en Veiligheid) found that the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) lacked the staff and resources to properly handle asylum applications. The high workload on one employee and the lack of experienced specialists lead to the fact that the requirements for the consideration of asylum applications are fulfilled with violations, including the timing of the consideration of these applications. The IND acknowledges the problems, but draws the attention of the Inspectorate to the fact that its employees are working to the point of wear and tear, and the service itself is in serious trouble due to the fines that are often imposed on it.
Asylum applications are becoming more and more difficult to process. At the same time, their number is constantly increasing. The lack of experienced staff is forcing the IND to refer such cases to new staff who lack the time limits for quality processing of applications. To reduce the backlog, IND employees skip scheduled work breaks and work until late at night. And all the same, the terms for consideration of many applications go beyond the limits established for this.
The quality of consideration of applications is also declining. In an effort to reduce the processing time for refugee applications, double-checking has been abolished, leading to errors in asylum decisions. Gathering and verifying information on potential refugees requires time, which the IND is required to provide to its staff. The Ministry of Justice, in turn, must provide the Immigration and Naturalization Service with sufficient resources for the quality of this work. Under the current rules, due to non-compliance with the deadlines for considering applications, the IND spends tens of millions of euros on the payment of fines, and this happens at a time when financial resources are already not enough to ensure quality activities.
The Dutch Refugee Council (Vluchtelingenwerk Nederland) believes that endless checks critical of the work of the IND have little effect on improving the quality of its work, which can lead to negative consequences for asylum seekers. The cabinet is being urged to improve the quality of the IND's work by reversing recent cuts to the agency's staff.
Read more about immigrating to the Netherlands and obtaining asylum on our website.
Publication Date: 25.05.2022
