The Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) paid €36.8 million in penalties last year for not processing residence permit applications on time, up from €11.3 million in 2023. This primarily concerns family reunification requests, according to the organization’s annual report.
Despite processing more applications than in previous years, the IND struggles to keep up, with over 75,000 people awaiting a decision. The average wait time ranged from 70 to 84 weeks.
The duration of family reunification procedures has been a longstanding issue. The number of legal cases against the IND nearly doubled over two years, reaching 68,000 last year, although courts sided with the IND in over 85% of these cases.
Director Rhodia Maas argues for removing judicial penalties, which she believes do not expedite processes. The IND handled 32,180 first-time asylum applications in 2024, fewer than in previous years, but the backlog increased, with nearly 51,000 awaiting a decision.
The approval rate for asylum applications dropped, with 58% receiving a positive decision last year, down from 61% in 2023. Naturalization applications rose sharply to over 54,000, with most new citizens previously holding Syrian, Indian, or Turkish passports.
Source: NOS