The Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) is calling for the abolition of judicial penalty payments for delays in asylum decisions, arguing that the system is counterproductive and drains resources. In 2024, the IND paid EUR 36.8 million in penalties, with another EUR 25 million already paid in the first 5 months of 2025.
The IND reported that it has been receiving more applications than the number for which the organisation is equipped, leading to an increase in the number of cases which cannot be decided within the timeframe. IND Director-General Rhodia Maas stated that the penalties do not speed up decisions and divert capacity and public funds away from processing applications.