Netherlands Overhauls Asylum Policy to Protect Afghan Women Amid Deteriorating Rights
The Dutch government has announced a fundamental reform of its asylum policy in response to the worsening security and human rights situation in Afghanistan, particularly the increasing restrictions on women and girls. According to this decision, Afghan women and girls will generally be considered eligible to receive refugee residence permits in the Netherlands.
The decision was announced on Thursday, May 28, following the release of a new report by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The report reviewed the situation in Afghanistan from June 2023 to October 2025, highlighting a further deterioration in the legal and social conditions for women under Taliban rule.
The report emphasized that with the enforcement of the “Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice” law in August 2024, restrictions on women’s freedom of movement, education, and social participation have significantly increased. This law, as a key tool of social control, has further narrowed the scope of women’s activities and daily lives.
In an official statement, the Dutch government said that previous immigration regulations no longer adequately address the current situation in Afghanistan. Therefore, new reforms will be implemented to formally recognize the special circumstances of Afghan women during the asylum case review process.
The Netherlands Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) also stated that, in principle, any Afghan woman who refers to the ongoing conditions in Afghanistan will be granted temporary refugee residency.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, women and girls have been denied access to secondary and higher education, many job opportunities, and freedom of travel; restrictions that have not only persisted over time but have also expanded.
