Asylum seekers

The Council of State has ruled that the Netherlands should not have extended the deadline for deciding on asylum applications. The decision follows guidance from the European Court and concerns a case brought by a Turkish applicant. Thousands of asylum seekers are still waiting more than six months for a ruling.

Asylum-seeking children will only be detained in rare cases after the Migration Pact takes effect, the asylum affairs minister has said. The assurance follows criticism of plans to hold some families in a detention centre in Zeist. The minister emphasised that Ter Apel remains the default location, with detention used only in exceptional circumstances.

A new initiative in the Brainport region is training hundreds of asylum seekers for high-demand jobs in the local semiconductor industry. The program combines technical skills with specialized language coaching to help newcomers fill thousands of vacancies in the thriving Brainport region.