First asylum applications fall 13% in third quarter
Statistics Netherlands (CBS) counted almost 5,900 first asylum applications in July to September, the first full quarter under the EU migration pact. Separately, fewer family members of refugees came to the Netherlands.
Almost 5,900 people filed a first asylum application in the Netherlands in the third quarter of 2026, 850 fewer than a year earlier, CBS reports. That is 13% fewer. The figures are based on first provisional data from the IND, the immigration service. It was the first full quarter after the EU migration pact came into force.
Over the first three quarters of 2026, applications were still 8% higher than in the same period a year earlier. The third quarter was down 3% on the second.
First asylum applications dipped in the third quarter of 2026
Thousand first applications · Q1 2025–Q3 2026
First asylum applications dipped in the third quarter of 2026 (thousand first applications). From 4.51 in Q1 2025 to 5.87 in Q3 2026; highest 7.53 in Q4 2025, lowest 4.51 in Q1 2025. Source: CBS.
View data
| Item | Thousand first applications |
|---|---|
| Q1 2025 | 4.51 |
| Q2 2025 | 5.32 |
| Q3 2025 | 6.72 |
| Q4 2025 | 7.53 |
| Q1 2026 | 6 |
| Q2 2026 | 6.06 |
| Q3 2026 | 5.87 |
Eritreans filed 480 first applications, the largest group by nationality, and Syrians 470. Applications from both groups were about half the level of a year earlier. Another 450 applications came from people of unknown nationality.
Applications from Ukrainians rose from 15 to 140. Those from Ethiopians fell from 290 to 75.
Fewer family members joining
In the quarter, 3,200 family members of refugees granted a residence permit (statushouders) came to the Netherlands under family reunification. That is 1,500 fewer than a year earlier and 25% fewer than in the second quarter. Over the first three quarters the number fell 1% on a year earlier.
Family members joining refugees dropped sharply in the third quarter
Thousand people · Q1 2025–Q3 2026
Family members joining refugees dropped sharply in the third quarter (thousand people). From 3.77 in Q1 2025 to 3.22 in Q3 2026; highest 4.68 in Q3 2025, lowest 3.22 in Q3 2026. Source: CBS.
View data
| Item | Thousand people |
|---|---|
| Q1 2025 | 3.77 |
| Q2 2025 | 3.76 |
| Q3 2025 | 4.68 |
| Q4 2025 | 4.29 |
| Q1 2026 | 4.56 |
| Q2 2026 | 4.3 |
| Q3 2026 | 3.22 |
About 70% of the joining family members, around 2,200 people, came from Syria. People of unknown nationality (200), Yemenis (155) and Turks (130) followed. The rules on family reunification changed on 12 June, with the introduction of the two-status system (tweestatusstelsel).
More on asylum and migration · rules for internationals
Follow the story: IND
IND (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst)
The Immigration and Naturalisation Service, which decides on asylum applications, residence permits and Dutch citizenship.
EU-migratiepact
The EU Pact on Migration and Asylum is a package of EU rules for handling asylum seekers and migrants arriving in the Union, covering border screening, a common asylum procedure and shared responsibility between member states. It applies in the Netherlands from June 2026, and the IND, the Dutch immigration service, now processes asylum applications under these rules.
tweestatusstelsel
The two-status system is the Dutch asylum framework under which people recognised as refugees receive one of two residence statuses: a regular residence permit or a temporary one. The two statuses carry different rights, and the temporary status has more limited rights, including on family reunification.