Increase in share of status holders in education after 5 years

© ANP / Hans van Rhoon
Among people with a temporary asylum residence permit (known as status holders) who were granted residency in 2017 and 2018, 38 percent were in education five years later. This was an increase compared with status holders granted residency prior to 2017. In particular, 18 to 22-year-olds were more likely to be in education. This is according to new figures released by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) based on its ‘Asylum and integration 2024’ study.

Every year, CBS looks at how asylum seekers who have come to the Netherlands since 2014 are faring. This study was commissioned by the Netherlands’ Ministries of Social Affairs and Employment (SZW) and Justice and Security (J en V).

On 1 October 2023, 4,045 of the 10,650 status holders aged 12 years and older who were granted a residence permit in 2018 were in education. The share of status holders in education five years after being granted residency in the Netherlands has increased in recent years.

Most status holders are in secondary vocational education (MBO)

Most status holders aged 18 to 22 years who were in education were studying at MBO level: an average of 84 percent. This share was about the same for the cohorts from 2014 to 2018. Here, cohort refers to a group of status holders who were granted residency in a particular year.

Among those aged 23 and older who were granted residency in 2017 and 2018, 8 in 10 were following education at MBO level. Among status holders granted residency prior to that, the share is around three quarters. However, status holders who were granted residency prior to 2017 were more likely to be in college or university education than status holders granted residency in 2017 and 2018.

Fewer Syrian status holders at college (HBO) and university level

Most of the status holders granted residency between 2014 and 2018 were from Syria and Eritrea: 41 percent and 26 percent, respectively, in 2018. Status holders from these countries aged 18 and over were the most likely to be in MBO five years after being granted residency.

Syrian status holders from more recent cohort years were more likely to be in MBO level education after five years. Compared to earlier cohorts, they were less likely to be in college or university education.

Among status holders from Eritrea, the share of those in MBO level education has decreased somewhat in recent years. The share of Eritreans studying at college or university level is less than 3 percent.


The Asylum and integration 2024 publication sheds light on new asylum seekers arriving at the reception centres run by the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum seekers (COA), the composition and integration of various cohorts of status holders and those with temporary protection (Ukrainians) in the Netherlands. The publication includes figures on those in reception centres run by the COA, housing, integration, household composition, following family members, family reunification, education, naturalisation, work and income, healthcare usage and criminality. All figures can be viewed on the dashboard (Dutch only).

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