Asylum requests down by nearly a quarter on Q3 2023

29/10/2024 15:00

A total of 8.1 thousand people submitted a first-time asylum application in the Netherlands in the third quarter of 2024. That was down 23 percent from Q3 2023 and slightly up on Q2 2024. A total of 2.7 thousand following family members arrived in the Netherlands, which was almost equal to the number who arrived one year previously, but fewer than in Q2 2024. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this on the basis of the most recent asylum figures by the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND).

First-time asylum requests and following family members
Jaartal	Kwartaal	Number of asylum requests (x 1,000)	Number of following family members (x 1,000)
2018	Q1	4.155	2.140
2018	Q2	4.320	1.970
2018	Q3	6.205	1.280
2018	Q4	5.835	1.070
2019	Q1	5.380	0.845
2019	Q2	5.190	0.890
2019	Q3	5.870	1.200
2019	Q4	6.100	1.245
2020	Q1	4.470	1.065
2020	Q2	1.255	0.260
2020	Q3	4.100	0.860
2020	Q4	3.895	1.680
2021	Q1	2.720	1.510
2021	Q2	3.340	2.600
2021	Q3	8.815	2.780
2021	Q4	9.870	3.230
2022	Q1	6.450	2.570
2022	Q2	7.325	3.165
2022	Q3	11.015	3.650
2022	Q4	10.745	1.545
2023	Q1	6.940	1.905
2023	Q2	7.950	2.630
2023	Q3	10.510	2.600
2023	Q4	12.975	2.990
2024	Q1	8.965	3.090
2024	Q2	7.710	2.780
2024	Q3	8.115	2.650

First-time asylum requests and following family members
Jaartal	Kwartaal	Number of asylum requests (x 1,000)	Number of following family members (x 1,000)
2018	Q1	4.155	2.140
2018	Q2	4.320	1.970
2018	Q3	6.205	1.280
2018	Q4	5.835	1.070
2019	Q1	5.380	0.845
2019	Q2	5.190	0.890
2019	Q3	5.870	1.200
2019	Q4	6.100	1.245
2020	Q1	4.470	1.065
2020	Q2	1.255	0.260
2020	Q3	4.100	0.860
2020	Q4	3.895	1.680
2021	Q1	2.720	1.510
2021	Q2	3.340	2.600
2021	Q3	8.815	2.780
2021	Q4	9.870	3.230
2022	Q1	6.450	2.570
2022	Q2	7.325	3.165
2022	Q3	11.015	3.650
2022	Q4	10.745	1.545
2023	Q1	6.940	1.905
2023	Q2	7.950	2.630
2023	Q3	10.510	2.600
2023	Q4	12.975	2.990
2024	Q1	8.965	3.090
2024	Q2	7.710	2.780
2024	Q3	8.115	2.650

The number of first-time asylum applications fell by 2.4 thousand (23 percent), compared with Q3 2023. The number of asylum requests from Syrians fell particularly sharply relative to one year previously (from 4.3 thousand to 3.3. thousand). On the other hand, the number of first-time asylum applications was higher in the first half of 2024 than it was in the first half of 2023.

Increase in asylum requests compared with Q2 2024

The number of first-time asylum applications increased by just over 400 in Q3 2024, compared with Q2 2024. More people from Syria (up by 21 percent), Turkey (up by 32 percent) and Eritrea (up by 27 percent) applied for asylum. On the other hand, the number of people from Iraq who applied for asylum fell from 675 first-time asylum applications in Q2 to 200 in Q3.

The increase in the number of first-time asylum requests compared with Q2 2024 was much smaller than in the previous three years.

First-time asylum requests, main counties of origin
Jaartal	Kwartaal	Syria (x 1,000)	Turkey (x 1,000)	Eritrea (x 1,000)	Unknown (x 1,000)	Somalia (x 1,000)
2020	Q1	1.095	0.250	0.100	0.160	0.050
2020	Q2	0.360	0.050	0.040	0.110	0.015
2020	Q3	1.370	0.450	0.110	0.180	0.065
2020	Q4	1.245	0.240	0.120	0.150	0.075
2021	Q1	0.900	0.090	0.110	0.095	0.045
2021	Q2	1.015	0.375	0.175	0.145	0.085
2021	Q3	2.545	1.535	0.205	0.265	0.405
2021	Q4	3.920	0.455	0.275	0.340	0.365
2022	Q1	1.625	0.360	0.250	0.240	0.340
2022	Q2	2.245	0.695	0.255	0.215	0.300
2022	Q3	4.595	0.935	0.465	0.350	0.330
2022	Q4	4.185	0.695	0.400	0.340	0.490
2023	Q1	1.555	0.475	0.385	0.270	0.485
2023	Q2	2.375	0.505	0.505	0.275	0.480
2023	Q3	4.320	0.875	0.750	0.335	0.455
2023	Q4	4.775	1.010	0.710	0.380	0.385
2024	Q1	2.900	0.495	0.335	0.355	0.290
2024	Q2	2.725	0.390	0.365	0.405	0.320
2024	Q3	3.300	0.515	0.465	0.375	0.250

First-time asylum requests, main counties of origin
Jaartal	Kwartaal	Syria (x 1,000)	Turkey (x 1,000)	Eritrea (x 1,000)	Unknown (x 1,000)	Somalia (x 1,000)
2020	Q1	1.095	0.250	0.100	0.160	0.050
2020	Q2	0.360	0.050	0.040	0.110	0.015
2020	Q3	1.370	0.450	0.110	0.180	0.065
2020	Q4	1.245	0.240	0.120	0.150	0.075
2021	Q1	0.900	0.090	0.110	0.095	0.045
2021	Q2	1.015	0.375	0.175	0.145	0.085
2021	Q3	2.545	1.535	0.205	0.265	0.405
2021	Q4	3.920	0.455	0.275	0.340	0.365
2022	Q1	1.625	0.360	0.250	0.240	0.340
2022	Q2	2.245	0.695	0.255	0.215	0.300
2022	Q3	4.595	0.935	0.465	0.350	0.330
2022	Q4	4.185	0.695	0.400	0.340	0.490
2023	Q1	1.555	0.475	0.385	0.270	0.485
2023	Q2	2.375	0.505	0.505	0.275	0.480
2023	Q3	4.320	0.875	0.750	0.335	0.455
2023	Q4	4.775	1.010	0.710	0.380	0.385
2024	Q1	2.900	0.495	0.335	0.355	0.290
2024	Q2	2.725	0.390	0.365	0.405	0.320
2024	Q3	3.300	0.515	0.465	0.375	0.250

Number of following family members unchanged compared with Q3 2023

In Q3 2024, 2,650 following family members arrived in the Netherlands. That was almost equal to the number that arrived in the same quarter of 2023. There were fewer following family members from Turkey, this number fell from 300 in Q3 2023 to 75 in Q3 2024. However, the number of following family members from Syria increased by 10 percent.

The total number of following family members fell by 130 compared with Q2 2024. Most of the following family members arrived from Syria (1,915 people), but this number was down by 3 percent from Q2. The number of following family members from Iraq fell the most sharply, compared with Q2 (down by 41 percent).

Family reunification, main countries of origin
Jaartal	Kwartaal	Syria (x 1,000)	Yemen (x 1,000)	Iraq (x 1,000)	Turkey (x 1,000)
2020	Q1	0.315	0.075	0.010	0.020
2020	Q2	0.070	0.020	0.000	0.010
2020	Q3	0.355	0.055	0.025	0.165
2020	Q4	0.720	0.275	0.070	0.060
2021	Q1	0.765	0.200	0.060	0.180
2021	Q2	1.640	0.185	0.090	0.140
2021	Q3	1.785	0.115	0.060	0.270
2021	Q4	2.245	0.150	0.055	0.145
2022	Q1	1.745	0.100	0.045	0.140
2022	Q2	2.250	0.120	0.025	0.255
2022	Q3	2.475	0.110	0.030	0.485
2022	Q4	0.765	0.045	0.030	0.215
2023	Q1	1.090	0.080	0.075	0.265
2023	Q2	1.745	0.200	0.065	0.325
2023	Q3	1.745	0.305	0.040	0.300
2023	Q4	2.115	0.235	0.075	0.255
2024	Q1	2.305	0.225	0.085	0.145
2024	Q2	1.975	0.220	0.135	0.070
2024	Q3	1.915	0.230	0.080	0.075

Family reunification, main countries of origin
Jaartal	Kwartaal	Syria (x 1,000)	Yemen (x 1,000)	Iraq (x 1,000)	Turkey (x 1,000)
2020	Q1	0.315	0.075	0.010	0.020
2020	Q2	0.070	0.020	0.000	0.010
2020	Q3	0.355	0.055	0.025	0.165
2020	Q4	0.720	0.275	0.070	0.060
2021	Q1	0.765	0.200	0.060	0.180
2021	Q2	1.640	0.185	0.090	0.140
2021	Q3	1.785	0.115	0.060	0.270
2021	Q4	2.245	0.150	0.055	0.145
2022	Q1	1.745	0.100	0.045	0.140
2022	Q2	2.250	0.120	0.025	0.255
2022	Q3	2.475	0.110	0.030	0.485
2022	Q4	0.765	0.045	0.030	0.215
2023	Q1	1.090	0.080	0.075	0.265
2023	Q2	1.745	0.200	0.065	0.325
2023	Q3	1.745	0.305	0.040	0.300
2023	Q4	2.115	0.235	0.075	0.255
2024	Q1	2.305	0.225	0.085	0.145
2024	Q2	1.975	0.220	0.135	0.070
2024	Q3	1.915	0.230	0.080	0.075

3 in 10 asylum seekers are aged under 18

The majority of people who submitted a first-time asylum application in Q3 2024 were under 35 years old, and 29 percent of them were under 18 years old. Over half of the asylum requests from Eritreans were made by minors.

Men are more likely to submit a first-time asylum application. For instance, three-quarters of all requests in Q3 were made by men. The percentage was higher among asylum seekers from Syria, at 82 percent. Fifty-six percent of asylum seekers from Somalia were men and 44 percent were women.

First-time asylum requests, main countries of origin, by age, Q3 2024
Leeftijd	Syria	Turkey	Eritrea	Unknown	Somalia
Below 18 yrs old	965	120	240	155	100
18-24 yrs	670	100	100	60	50
25-34 yrs	820	130	75	75	60
35-44 yrs	450	95	10	35	30
45-54 yrs	275	55	20	25	5
55-64 yrs	100	10	10	20	0
65 yrs or older	25	5	10	0	5

First-time asylum requests, main countries of origin, by age, Q3 2024
Leeftijd	Syria	Turkey	Eritrea	Unknown	Somalia
Below 18 yrs old	965	120	240	155	100
18-24 yrs	670	100	100	60	50
25-34 yrs	820	130	75	75	60
35-44 yrs	450	95	10	35	30
45-54 yrs	275	55	20	25	5
55-64 yrs	100	10	10	20	0
65 yrs or older	25	5	10	0	5