For asylum seekers to be counted as immigrants in a particular year, registration in the municipal population registers (GBA) is required. Asylum seekers are not registered in the GBA immediately after their arrival in the Netherlands. In general, they are registered after their request for registration has been granted or after they have stayed in a refugee centre for at least six months. A former asylum seeker is counted as an immigrant after municipal authorities have notified Statistics Netherlands of their registration in the GBA.
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