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Lowest number of asylum applications from Syrians in 5 years

Last update: 14 April 2025

For the first time, the number of Syrians applying for asylum in the Netherlands has dropped significantly. In March 2025, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) received 195 asylum applications from Syrians. This is the lowest number of applications since June 2020. Back then, 187 Syrians submitted asylum applications. 

The highest number of applications came in October 2015. Then, the service registered 5,249 Syrians who submitted a first-time asylum application. 
That year, a total of 18,677 Syrians applied for asylum for the first time in the Netherlands. That number dropped sharply to 2,158 in 2016. After that, the number increased every year. But since the fall of President Assad's regime in December, the number of first-time applications has been decreasing rapidly.

Director General Rhodia Maas: 'Apparently, the situation in Syria has changed in such a way that far less people feel the need to leave their country. This is especially nice for the Syrians themselves. Besides, it gives us some air. This is much needed, because more than 50,000 people are still waiting for a decision. We are working hard to bring that number down, but it will take quite some time until we manage that.'

Family reunification


By the number of family reunification refugees, Syrians are still the largest group of applicants. Syrians account for 46% of the total number of applications (first-time applicants, repeat applicants and family reunification refugees). This is followed by Iraqis (7%), Turks (6%) and Eritreans (5%). 
 

Each month, the IND publishes an overview of the most important current figures and developments.