News item | 07-07-2022 | 15:00
This cabinet is committed to a just, humane and effective asylum and migration policy. That is why the government is working on strengthening legal migration and limiting irregular migration. In order to achieve this, we need to get a better grip on migration. Who comes to the Netherlands, who can stay, who must leave, and what effects does all this have on society? To answer these questions, there must be a good overall picture of migration. The second edition of the State of Migration was sent by the cabinet to the House of Representatives on 4 July.
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Migration is always in motion. Whether it concerns the problems with the reception of asylum seekers, the arrival of refugees from Ukraine or the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, these are all situations that show how important it is to have a grip. Grip starts with insight and overview, in the figures and the policy in the year 2021. That is what this edition of the State of Migration also contributes to.
When we talk about migration in the Netherlands, we often think of asylum seekers and Ter Apel. But migration is broader; over the years, an average of nine out of ten migrants come here to work or study. Asylum also goes further than the asylum procedure and starts long before people arrive in the Netherlands. That is why in the State of Migration, first the international, then the European and finally the national perspective is outlined.
What is striking is that the migration numbers in 2021 were back to the level of before the corona crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a sharp decline in migration to the Netherlands earlier in 2020. In 2021, the impact of the pandemic will still be visible in the return of migrants who are illegally staying in the Netherlands. Due to COVID measures, the departure of this group in 2021 will also be more difficult than before the pandemic. Many countries require proof of vaccination or negative test evidence before someone is allowed to enter the country.
About a third of the total number of migrants who come to the Netherlands each year are regular migrants from outside the European Union (EU), more than half of the influx consists of persons from other EU Member States. The influx of asylum seekers is on average 12% per year. Of the migrants who came to the Netherlands in 2021, Poles (12%) formed the largest group, followed by Romanians (6%) and Syrians (6%). In total, 37,150 asylum applications were made in 2021, of which 24,690 were first asylum applications, 10,120 relatives, 1,810 repeated asylum applications and 540 other applications. In 2021, 18,480 foreign nationals who did not have lawful residence in the Netherlands left.
This second edition of the State of Migration not only looks back, but also looks ahead. This means that the cabinet shows how far it has come with all the plans and ambitions from the coalition agreement. It is becoming increasingly clear how great the influence of migration is on Dutch society. For example, the arrival of more migrants is putting further pressure on the already tight housing market. But the consequences extend much further: migration is the largest factor in the demographic development of the Netherlands. That is why the government always keeps an eye on the question to what extent migration is in line with the capacity and needs of Dutch society, now and in the future.