Netherlands wants to designate parts of Syria as safe, but cannot just do that
Share on social media:
The Dutch government wants to give fewer refugees asylum and send them back to their countries of origin more quickly. The government also wants to declare some areas in Syria safe, so refugees from those areas can eventually return. But this cannot happen overnight.
Dutch government seeks to reject asylum applications from Syrians
The Netherlands wants to designate parts of Syria as safe. For this, the asylum policy for Syrians must be changed. Now the asylum policy states that many people in Syria are in danger. This is because of serious human rights violations in Syria, such as violence and arrests. Also, when people return to Syria, these people are often not treated well. The Dutch government is now looking for a way to still reject and return people from Syria.
A country must meet strict rules before asylum applications can be rejected
To adjust the asylum policy for people from Syria, the Dutch government needs evidence. This evidence must come from experts and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At the end of this year or early next year, there will probably be a new investigation into the situation in Syria.
Experts believe Syria is still unsafe. Recent research by the
The court ultimately decides whether the Netherlands may send people back to their country
Despite expert advice, the Dutch government may still decide to adjust the asylum policy for Syrians. But ultimately, courts have the final say on this. They check whether the government's decision complies with European and international rules. The Dutch government still has to comply with those.
Read below what might happen depending on the situation:
You have applied for asylum
Even if parts of Syria are designated as safe, the
If the IND believes you are still in danger in Syria, the IND will approve your asylum application. Does the IND not approve your application? Then you can appeal to the court. The court will then decide whether the IND made a correct decision.
You have an asylum residence permit
An asylum residence permit can only be revoked if the situation in your country is permanently better and you personally are no longer in danger. The minister must prove this. The requirements for revoking a permit are stricter than for new applications for asylum.
Usually permits already granted are not immediately revoked when there are changes in policy. We do not yet know if that will be different now. Does the
The Netherlands cannot even send people back just like that if it deems a country safe
If the Netherlands deems a country or region safe and the judge determines that your residence permit may be revoked, you still cannot be sent back just like that. The Netherlands must make agreements with Syria to do so, and Syria must agree to people returning. Currently, there are no agreements between the Netherlands and Syria on return.
The relationship between the Netherlands and Syria is bad. The Netherlands has no embassy in Syria, and Syria has no embassy in the Netherlands. To forcibly return someone, it is important that the country has an embassy in the Netherlands.
There is currently no more substantive information on plans to designate parts of Syria as safe. RefugeeHelp is monitoring developments and will inform you as soon as there is news.