20 million people are forced to leave their country every year, because it is not safe. A mere 25 percent of these refugees live in Europe. In the past two years less then 10.000 people have requested a resident permit to live in the Netherlands.

At this moment 22.000 people live in the 45 centres for asylum seekers (25% of these centres were closed since 2006). More that 8.000 children and youngsters are among the 22.000 people that would like a place of residence in the Netherlands.

The government has addressed a 'Generaal Pardon', a law that makes it easier to acquire a permit, for half of the people in these centres. This means that in the years to come, they will be appointed a house in the Netherlands and gain their permit. The procedure takes time and the government expects that the number of children and youngsters in the Netherlands is likely to be the same or even grow.

A lot of the children in the centres for asylum seekers fled from countries where violence and repressed governments were a normal part of daily life. These children fled mostly from Afghanistan, DR Congo, Iraq, Sudan, Somalia and Chechnya. Read more


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