Asylum in the Netherlands
Asylumrequests are accepted only in the Airport and the Reception Centre in Ter Apel. Most people who ask asylum at the airport are kept in aliens detention during their asylumprocedure. After an asylumrequest at the Reception Centre Ter Apel however, you get shelter in an open asylum centre, and your fingerprints will be taken. Then you have to wait weeks or months for your first interview, on the basis of which the decision will be taken. If your case will be considered weak, then you might get a decision within 8 days. That means that you will have to leave the shelter after 4 weeks. You can contest the decision in court within this period. If you win the court, your procedure continues and you will have the right to stay longer. This is also the case if your case will be considered more serious: the time to take a first decision will be prolonged to a few months. Als in this case you can go to court if the decision is negative. In these cases, shelter will be provided untill four weeks after the last negative decision. This shelter can be extended with 3 extra months in a return-centre, especially for families or vulnerable people. Uaccompanied minors get shelter and care in special centres. They get protection untill they can either be deported to a shelter in their home country, or untill they turn 18 years old.
In the Netherlands, all asylum seekers have access to free support by specialized lawyers.
In case that authorities don't believe your origin
When someone applies for asylum in the Netherlands, it should first of all be clear what country or region he or she originates from. If there is no identity document, then language analysis is employed. Based on the dialect features in the language usage of the applicant, a language analysis is used to investigate which region he or she originates from. Language analyses take place upon the request of the government or upon the request of the applicant himself or herself. There is an independent organisation "De Taalstudio" which provides language analyses, contra-expertises and second opinions by professional linguists for a great number of languages. De Taalstudio acts as an intermediary between people who need a language analysis or contra-expertise, on the one hand, and linguists on the other, from the moment of the request up to and including the completion of the report.
See www.taalstudio.nl for more information. Or email to info(at)taalstudio.nl.