Up to 60,000 refugees expected in the Netherlands this year: minister

The Dutch cabinet expects between 50,000 and 60,000 people will apply for asylum in the Netherlands this year, junior justice minister Klaas Dijkhoff has told parliament in a briefing.

Up to last month, 35,900 people had come to the Netherlands and applied for refugee status, Dijkhoff said.

Of them, almost 2,000 are being put up in temporary accommodation such as sports halls and some 37,000 are living in official refugee centres. By the end of this year, accommodation will be required for 50,000 people, Dijkhoff said.

Earlier this week the ruling coalition of the VVD and PvdA reached agreement on changing the way refugees with residency permits are treated. They will no longer have priority on the social housing waiting lists and will be given reduced social security benefits.

MPs are due to debate the refugee situation with ministers later on Wednesday.