REFUGEES IN THE NETHERLANDS.

In the end of the eighteenth century there was a large inflow of refugees in the Netherlands. 1 out of 110 people in the Netherlands is a refugee. This essay will give you a clear image of what the reasons were and the effect it had etc.

Firstly, what actually are refugees?
Refugees are persons who leave their country because of religious, political, racial or other problems. It the inflow of refugees is very high, it might cause a lot of trouble. If there are really too much refugees flowing into the country, it might cause wars and other disasters. The term ‘economic refugees’ is used for refugees which move just because of economic reasons.

Secondly, what happens when a refugee wants to come to the Netherlands?
When refugees want to come and live in the Netherlands, the government first has to decide whether or not the refugee is a honest political refugee. When the papers are all filled in, they get a refugee shelter to live in. They can live there till the judge has made his decision, this will take several years. Because the refugees cannot do anything but wait for the judge his decision, the ‘Vreemdelingenwet 2000’ attempted to reduce the period of doubt to the minimum. This new legislation includes that the Immigration and Naturalisation Service decides in 5 days if the refugee has a change to stay here or not. The IND will also decide whether or not the refugees receive a residence permit, but these residence permits are not very often given to the refugees in the Netherlands. All approved refugees will receive a temporary residence permit, this means for three years. After those three years, the temporary permit will become a permanent one (one in which they can stay). If the refugees are not allowed into the country, they may appeal the decision at the court. But if the judge says that the IND is right, the refugee has to leave within a short period of time.

Thirdly, the Netherlands is a very popular country.
The number of people who want political asylum in the Netherlands is high if you compare it to our neighbouring countries. In 1999 the Netherlands was even the third one on the list of European countries, which represents the applying for political asylum. The refugees which are actually allowed political asylum is low compared to the neighbouring countries. Because the Netherlands’ population was just growing and growing, the immigration rules have become more strict. So the number of people applying for political asylum was falling.

Fourthly, where do refugees come from and why do they leave?
Refugees come mostly from poor countries, or countries with wars or other problems. They got away from the trouble and want to live in an economical more developed country like the Netherlands. The refugee problem will continue to be a matter of worldwide concern. But why? There will always be loads of refugees fleeing from terrible circumstances, or private problems. They will go to an other country to build a better future and start a new life.

Finally, the problems of the western government.
The western governments seek to study each applications for political asylum very carefully, this takes a lot of time. They tried to speed up the process, but many applicants spend months just waiting for the judge his decision. Refugees who are granted are required to integrate into the Dutch society. Refugees who are rejected are just very disappointed and have to leave the Netherlands.