Statistics from the Immigration & Naturalisation Service (IND) of the Netherlands show a significant increase in the number of applications for residence permits from 2020 to 2021, with the majority of application approvals going to citizens from India, China, the United States, and Turkey. 

Who relocated to the Netherlands in 2021?

After 2020 saw a drop in the number of residence permit requests received by the IND as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, figures increased again in 2021 as various travel restrictions came to an end. The IND received a total of 42 690 family applications in 2021, 82% of which were approved. The majority of these came from families from India, Turkey, and Syria. 

The number of people relocating to the Netherlands to attend university also increased in 2021, with IND receiving 20 560 student permit applications. According to the IND, most of the international students studying in the Netherlands come from China, India, and the United States.

The IND has also seen a significant jump in the number of applications for Dutch citizenship, from 43 660 in 2020 to 59 680 in 2021. 98% of these applications were approved, most commonly for those from Syria, Eritrea, and India.

Government plans for dealing with rising immigration

The Dutch Government has outlined a number of initiatives for responding to rising immigration and the corresponding lack of adequate shelter and housing in the Netherlands. On the one hand, it will take measures to reduce the number of new asylum seeker arrivals. On the other hand, municipalities are working to find 20 000 extra housing places for asylum seekers with a residence permit, so that they can be moved on more quickly from the overcrowded asylum seekers' centres.

To limit the number of newcomer arrivals, the government announced that asylum seekers with a residence permit will no longer be allowed to reunite with their families before adequate housing has been found. If no housing has been found after 15 months, these family members will still receive visas. This rule, however, goes against European directives, according to University of Amsterdam political scientist Saskia Bonjour. She said: 'No trick makes this legally acceptable... The longer the separation lasts, the more it harms children.'