Afghan interpreters denied permanent residence under EU pact

Afghan interpreters who worked for Dutch military and government missions are calling to be treated as an exception after being told they will not be granted permanent residence in the Netherlands under the new EU migration pact.

The group has received official decision letters citing the pact, which came into force on June 12 and means indefinite asylum permits are no longer issued, broadcaster NOS reported. They have instead been offered residence documents valid for a maximum of three years.

The immigration service IND has said the interpreters may be able to apply for a long-term residents’ permit, and that they can lodge an appeal within four weeks.

The interpreters say they lost their safety, work and future in Afghanistan because of their cooperation with Dutch forces and cannot return. They also say that many were brought to the Netherlands months before the fall of Kabul in 2021, under formal agreements with the Dutch state.

They now work, pay tax and have children in Dutch schools, and want to be recognised as a special category with a “durable residence solution”, pointing to the country’s moral responsibility towards its former local staff.

Asylum minister Bart van den Brink (CDA) confirmed that people can no longer be granted indefinite residence under the pact, but said there may be other routes for them to stay, such as naturalisation. He declined to comment specifically on the Afghan interpreters.

The Netherlands has taken in some Afghan interpreters, guards and other local workers since the Taliban takeover in 2021, in a process that has been criticised as slow and restrictive.