Further increase in number of Turkish asylum seekers

In Q2 2018, the Netherlands received 330 Turkish asylum seekers and following family members, versus 185 in Q1. Since the failed coup attempt in July 2016, the number of Turkish asylum seekers coming to the Netherlands has risen. In Q2 2018, Turks constituted the third largest group of asylum seekers and following relatives, after Syrians (1,345) and Eritreans (1,145).

Since July 2016, around 30 thousand Turkish nationals have requested asylum in countries of the European Union. The majority applied in Germany, Greece and France, and nearly 1,200 in the Netherlands. For the EU as a whole, the number of requests peaked in the autumn of 2017.

Asylum requests and family reunification stable in past year

A total of 6,315 asylum seekers and following relatives reached the Netherlands in Q2 2018. After a peak in asylum requests in the second half of 2015 and another peak in family reunification at the end of 2016 and start of 2017, the number of asylum seekers and following relatives has been stable over the past four quarters.

Many minors among Eritreans

In Q2 2018, there were relatively many minors among Eritrean asylum seekers and following family members, namely 54 percent. Nearly half were female. When looking at asylum requests and family reunification from Turkey and Syria, one-third of the cases involved young people (under 18) and around 40 percent concerned underage or adult women.