Immigration Links
The main body of this website is in Dutch, so if you can read Dutch I would advise you to go to that section because it contains much more information. But for the people who cannot read Dutch we made this page to provide them with hopefully some usefull information and links.
On this site there is information and also usefull links for:
1. People who want to visit The Netherlands or even live there for a while;
2. People who have problems returning to their country of origin;
3. Refugees and asylumseekers;
4. People who want to know more about Dutch migration and asylum law e.g. jurisprudence, courses and publications;
5. People who want to work for refugees or in the field of migration law (vacancies)
If one wants to come to the Netherlands (not as a refugee):
a visa or a mvv?
Most countrynationals need a visa if they want to come to The Netherlands as a tourist or to visit family. An application for a visa can be done at the Dutch ambassy in your country. With a visa you are allowed to stay 3 months in the Netherland but you can not apply in Holland for a residencepermit.If you want a permit to stay in The Netherlands (e.g. for study, familyreunion, marriage) you have to apply for a special visa called mvv in your own country and wait there for the decision. In most cases it also means that you did an exam first to show that you know a bit Dutch and some about the Dutch culture ("inburgeren in het buitenland").
It is difficult to get a residence permit if you want to come to The Netherlands just to find a job there because Dutch nationals and residents of the Eu get priority. However, the is a seperate regime for the so called knowledge workers (kennismigranten). If an employer is willing to pay a high salary for a foreign worker the immigration procedure is very simple.
On the site of the immigration service is stored a lot of usefull information. You can also contact the Dutch embassy in your country of origin.
http://www.ind.nl: website of the Dutch immigration service for information about the procedure
On this website are a lot of brochures in english on several subjects.
Website with the adresses of the Dutch embassies where one should apply for a visa or mvv (visa for long stay)
http://www.advocatenvreemdelingenrecht.nl:
legal aid:adresses of immigrationlawyers
If one needs help to leave the Netherlands:
When one has no permit to stay in The Netherlands and is not in a procedure to get one, a person has an obligation to leave the country. When one has not done that the government has the right to punt this person in alien detention untill he or she can send back to his or hers country of origen (nationality). So it is wise to take matters in your own hand an make plans to return or mograte to a third country.http://www.iom.int: website of the International Organisation for Migration
This organisation assists with repatriation and also helps with migration to a third country.
http://ambassade.pagina.nl: Adresses of the ambassies of other countries in The Netherlands
Refugees and asylum
The Netherlands is a party of the Vluchtelingenverdrag (United Nations treaty on refugees) and also of the EVRM (European Covention on Human Rights). But nowadays the Dutch asylum policy is really strict. A person who wants to flee to The Netherlands has to prove (if possible) his identity, nationality and travelroute and has also to convince the Dutch migration authorities that his story is really true. He/she should best bring identity papers (the real ones) and all the (real!)prove he/she has to support his/her story (like newspaperarticles, orders for his arrest, papers from a hospital where he was treated). Smuggles will tell refugees to lose their papers but that is not wise. Moreover, one should before starting the journey think it over if leaving country, family, climate, language, familiar food and all that stuff is really necessary. Maybe, going to a another part of the country where one is less known already does the trick.For people who already applied for asylum and also for people who are planning to flee it is important if articles from e.g. Amnesty International, from newspapers, internet article or Dutch "ambtsberichten" support their story. Let your lawyer send them to the IND as soon as possible! Waiting untill you see a judge is too late. Not only lawyers and but also organisations as VluchtelingenWerk (an aid organisation for asylumseekers) can assist. But always check with your lawyer.
If you want to apply for asylum in Holland you have to come to Holland first. When you arrive you have to contact the authorities as soon as possible because waiting is interpreted as "not desperate for help". You will be brought to a special centre called Aanmeldcentre (AC) where you will get interviewed bij the Immigrationservice (IND). First about your nationality and identity and later about your reasons to ask asylum. Bring all the prove you have and answer as secure as possible (do not guess and be clear about why you are afraid: you know the situation in your country but for the Dutch interviewer some explanation can be handy). If it is clear your application will be denied your will get a "voornemen". If you have still a change you will be send to a different kind of centre (OC) where the interviews will start again. If you are granted asylum you get a possitive decision. If not you also get that "voornemen". Your laywer can give a reaction to that (with extra proof and jurisprudence preferably) which is called a "zienswijze". The IND will then decide to give or deny you a status. If the decision is negative you can go to court. The judge will decide if the IND made the right decision. If so, you have one more change. In case some legal mistake was made by the judge you can appeal at the Raad van State (Higher court). If you lose all you have to leave the country. If you get a residence permit you have to go to school and learn the language and the culture of your new country. But beware: if you only get a permit because the situation in your country is very dangerous for everybody (e.g. Iraq) the IND can revoke your permit if the situation in your country gets better.
Not all centres are like this. Some of them are in a highrise building. Families get one room and singles share with others. As you see not the luxury some smugglers tell about.
Information on the internet
http://www.ind.nl:legal aid
Website of the Dutch immigration service for information about the procedure
http://www.advocatenvreemdelingenrecht.nl:
adresses of immigrationlawyers
http://www.vluchtelingenwerk.nl:
(legal) aid for refugees
http://www.advocatenorde.nl:countryinformation:
Website of the Dutch Lawyers Association(also for complaints about lawyers)
http://www.amnesty.org: Amnesty Internation (global site)
http://www.amnesty.nl: (Dutch site)
http://www.unhcr.ch
http://www.iom.int
Country reports of the CIA
http://www.countryreports.orgfor refugee students:
Check also the newspapersites on internet
Search the internet:
http://www.uaf.nl
More about migration and asylum law e.g. jurisprudence, courses and publications
http://www.rechtspraak.nl
(jurisprudence in Dutch)
Migration law courses and online texts
http://www.vreemdelingenrecht.be (Belgian migration law)
http://www.brill.nl (publisher)
Vacancies:
http://www.reliefweb.int
My apologies in case you find a link that does not work or see a very nasty spelling mistake: this site is still under construction .
For remarks and/ or suggestions you can mail the webmaster by clicking on this link