The number of people seeking asylum in the Netherlands has continued to decline, fitting a wider European trend.
Last June 2,040 people submitted their so-called first asylum application, which is the lowest amount in the Netherlands in the previous 13 months, figures published by the Dutch immigration office (IND) show. In June 2023, that number stood at 3,039.
News outlet AD noted that normally in summer, the applications are at a peak because the weather makes boat crossings in the Mediterranean somewhat safer than if they were to be carried out in winter.
The number of migrants reaching Europe has also dropped in the last months. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) counted 76,000 arrivals in Europe for the first half of 2024. In the whole of 2023, there were 300,000.
