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Temporary stop on decisions for asylum seekers from Sudan

Last update: 27 June 2023

The Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) will not take any decisions in the next six months on applications by asylum seekers from Sudan. In this period Sudanese foreign nationals who have exhausted all legal means do not have to leave the Netherlands. This decision (only in Dutch)  was taken by the Minister for Migration and will enter into effect on 7 July 2023. 

On 15 April fighting broke out between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary troops of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). How the situation will develop further is still very unclear at present. Although various cease-fires have been announced, the fighting is still going, spread across Sudan. There is still little known about the impact of the fighting on civilians and whether the situation will lead to a prolonged battle. 

Moratorium on decisions and departures

The decision not to remove and decide is called a decision and departure moratorium. The IND assesses whether someone comes under the decision and/or departure moratorium. The statutory decision period of current and new asylum applications by Sudanese will be extended by one year, up to a maximum of 21 months. This also applies to applications yet to be submitted in the next six months. Sudanese who have exhausted all legal means will not be required to return to Sudan and will maintain the right to accommodation and other facilities.