Despite the resignation of the Dutch government following Geert Wilders' decision to leave the coalition, and with consultations continuing between the three parties—the Democrats 66, the Liberal Party, and the Christian Democratic Party—who are finalizing the formation of a minority government, the situation for asylum seekers is becoming increasingly dire. Tens of thousands of refugees are forced to wait a year and a half or more for a response to their applications from the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND). This waiting period has psychological and social repercussions and exacerbates overcrowding in reception centers, which are already overwhelmed by the large numbers of asylum applications in the Netherlands.

An article published in the newspaper Trouw reported that an asylum seeker of Algerian origin, identified only as Sorour (a pseudonym), 40 years old, has been waiting for a decision on his case since 2023. He remains unable to move freely or seek employment to secure his future in Dutch society. The waiting times for asylum seekers at the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) reached a peak last year. The processing time for asylum applications is so high that a significant number of asylum seekers are waiting for more than a year and a half for a decision on whether to remain in the Netherlands or leave the country.

This concerns asylum seekers who submitted their initial application at the Ter Apel registration center or at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. The number of asylum seekers waiting more than 15 months for a decision from the IND rose from fewer than 10,000 at the beginning of 2025 to 24,490 last November.

The IND appears unable to respond to existing asylum applications and is struggling to process new ones, despite claiming that the Netherlands has made progress in its asylum policy, leading to a decrease in applications. However, this stance is undermined by the growing concerns raised by mayors in some towns and villages about the rise of worrying social phenomena in Dutch society. The problems plaguing the Immigration and Naturalization Service are not new; they have accumulated over consecutive years. While solutions for these cases are not readily available, the service officials are unable to provide any explanation for the delays in processing asylum applications. This is despite numerous letters sent to the relevant authorities by asylum centers in the Netherlands and by mayors who have expressed their dissatisfaction and concern about the ever-increasing waiting times, which threaten the social and security stability of towns and villages.

An official from one of the asylum centers stated, "The waiting has health and psychological repercussions for the refugee, who is searching for a better future. It makes them vulnerable to failure and causes them stress. This is something we do not want to see in a country that claims to uphold equality of rights and responsibilities." As for the coordinator of the Ombudsman’s Office, Rainer van Zutven, he strongly criticized the strict laws regarding refugees and condemned the continued waiting periods, calling for humane treatment of people whose only concern is a clear answer as to who is allowed to stay or leave. He also called for the need to respect children and accelerate their integration into society before it is too late.