NOS news•
The Dutch state must once again process asylum applications from Palestinians. The Council of State ruled on this in a case brought by three Palestinian refugees.
In December, outgoing Secretary of State Van der Burg (Asylum) suspended treatment for six months due to the war in Gaza. He called the situation in the region uncertain and said that a “permanent policy” was not possible.
But according to the highest administrative court, the Secretary of State did not properly justify that decision. Van der Burg would not have based his decisions on the latest information about the war in Gaza. As a result, it did not sufficiently address the developments from early November to 19 December 2023, the Council of State says.
No family reunion
As a result of the processing freeze, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) did not reject asylum applications from Palestinians, but no residence permits were issued. New asylum applications from Palestinians were also not processed.
The treatment freeze had a major impact on Palestinians who had left their families in Gaza. This group could not rely on family reunification to bring their families to the Netherlands. This is only possible for asylum seekers with valid residence status.
The three Palestinians who went to court believed that the situation in Gaza was not uncertain, but unsafe and not temporary, meaning that Palestinian asylum applications must be processed within the agreed time. .
2024-04-24 09:06:03
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