Asylum process must speed up, but concerns voiced about due care
In the media image: USG on Unsplash
On paper, clarity on an asylum application takes eight days, but in practice it takes an average of 67 weeks. Under new EU rules, the IND must speed up the process. Migration law expert Mark Klaassen comments on ‘Nieuwsuur’.
According to the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), the asylum system here needs to be drastically overhauled. This summer, the European Integration Pact will enter into force, requiring all Member States to apply the same procedures. The IND wants to speed up the way decisions are made by implementing certain measures: reducing the number of interviews from two to one; and where possible doing away with the rest and preparation period, the standard medical examination, and the intention procedure. The aim is to give new asylum seekers clarity about their application faster. However, for asylum seekers who are already waiting in the system, it means an even longer wait.
Klaassen says it is ‘an absolute necessity’ that the process is accelerated. Asylum seekers now often have to wait more than a year. ‘That’s bad for the IND, bad for the protection of asylum seekers, but also bad for those who ultimately have to leave. The longer the time they’ve been here, the harder it will be when they have to return.’ That said, Klaassen has doubts about doing away with certain parts of the process. He says there is a risk that the problem will shift from the IND to the courts: ‘If you remove safeguards from the initial stage in the process, you’ll end up with more cases coming before the courts and matters eventually having to return to the IND anyway.’ It’s not enough to tinker with the structure of the asylum system he says; the subsequent steps in the process also need to be implemented on time. In addition, attention must be paid to the complexity inherent in asylum decisions. Legal requirements are piling up due to demands from politicians and the judiciary. ‘You need to strike a balance between a strict policy and one that remains feasible for the IND.’
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Watch the item on Nieuwsuur (from 5.50 min to 18.00 min, in Dutch)