The Netherlands deported 7,200 people last year, according to justice ministry figures quoted in Saturday’s Volkskrant.

The special government service set up a few years ago to make sure illegal foreigners leave the country was involved in the deportation of 4,700 people. The others were arrested by the military police on arrival in the country and sent back immediately, the paper says.
The report also shows that the growth in asylum applications seemed to taper off at the end of last year. In total, 15,200 people applied for asylum in the Netherlands, a 50% increase on 2007. Most applications were made by people from Somalia and Iraq.
France is the most popular destination for refugees, followed by Britain and Sweden, the paper says. The Netherlands is sixth.