Criminal asylum seekers not deported due to costs: NRC

The Dutch immigration service is failing to pursue and deport all asylum seekers with a criminal record due to cost and time constraints, alleges the NRC.

It claims to have seen documents revealing crisis meetings at the IND where employees admitted that residency documents from known criminals were not being withdrawn, due to a lack of time and resources.

From January 2017 to February 2019, 37 residency permits were withdrawn from asylum seekers with a criminal record, representing 2.4% of cases referred to the ‘withdrawals’ team, claims the NRC.

Last year a whistleblower from the IND reported problems within the organisation, and an independent report last month said that the withdrawal of permits has not been ‘organised adequately’. The organisation has pledged to improve.

Crime amongst asylum seekers is a controversial topic. Junior justice minister Mark Harbers resigned last month after police figures were published that apparently ‘hid’ the number of asylum seekers suspected of committing serious crimes in the Netherlands.

A new minister for asylum issues was appointed on Wednesday.