In total, 7,290 people applied for asylum in the Netherlands in the first six months of this year, some 170 down on the 2010 first half, according to new home affairs ministry figures.

At the same time, the number of failed refugees who left after their application was rejected fell from 5,720 in 2010 to 5370.
The Netherlands has now fallen from sixth to seventh place in terms of its popularity as a destination for refugees.
The number of applications for a residency permit from non EU citizens rose by 2,400 to almost 27,000 in the first six months of the year. The increase is due to a rise in students and people applying for residency for work or under the highly-skilled migrants scheme.