Fewer refugees and their families arrived in the Netherlands last year

Refugee children on the Syrian border.
Refugee children on the Syrian border.
Photo: Depositphotos.com

There was a slight drop in the number of refugees moving to the Netherlands last year, the national statistics agency CBS said.

In total, 26,700 refugees and their family members came to the Netherlands last year, down 300 on 2018. Of the total, 4,200 people arrived to join close relatives who had been granted refugee status.

Most new refugees continue to come from Syria, with Syrians accounting for 3,700 first-time claims last year.

Earlier this month it emerged that some 25% of Dutch first-time refugee requests come from people with no hope of gaining asylum in the Netherlands. Of the 2019 new arrivals, 5,575 were Nigerian, Algerian, Moldovan and Moroccan nationals.

Pressure is now mounting on the government to take tougher action against ‘pointless’ cases, with both the ruling VVD and the Socialist Party calling for change.

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