The justice ministry is planning to claw back some of the financial compensation paid to asylum seekers if their cases take too long to deal with to help pay for their extra time in refugee centres, the NRC said on Thursday.

Last year the IND paid out €5.5m in compensation and that is set to reach €17m this year, the NRC reported. The money goes to refugees with a simple asylum request, which should be completed within six months.

Now the government plans to get some of the money back in the form of fees for board and lodging.  Refugee organisations have criticised the plan, saying that the threat of the fine is the only way to put pressure on the IND to deal with cases quickly.

‘If you don’t make a claim, the IND does nothing,’ lawyer Wil Eikelboom told the paper.

Refugees with assets or a job have been required to contribute to their keep since 2008.

The regulation allows the state to charge asylum seekers for their food and living costs if they earn more than €183 a week.

Deductions are also made from any savings or possessions they have above a threshold of €6,225 for a single person and €12,450 for a family. Exceptions are made for personal items such as watches, wedding rings and mobile phones