16,000 Children Growing Up in Dutch Asylum Centres Face Uncertain Futures
Utrecht, 18 May 2026
Thousands of young asylum seekers across the Netherlands are spending years in temporary accommodation while their families await immigration decisions. Children born in refugee camps now call asylum centres home, with parents struggling to create stability amid prolonged uncertainty. The situation reveals the human cost of lengthy asylum procedures, as families like the Yezidi parents in Leersum work to shield their children from adult anxieties whilst living in limbo.
Life in Leersum: A Family’s Two-Year Wait
In the woodland asylum centre of Leersum, 10-year-old Demiel and seven-year-old Dayl have been living with their parents for approximately two years [1]. The boys, who were born in a refugee camp, represent a generation of children whose entire lives have been spent in temporary accommodation [1]. ‘The boys were born in a tentenkamp. They don’t know at all what it’s like to live in a house,’ explains their father Dakhiel [1]. The family’s situation illustrates the prolonged nature of asylum procedures, where children must adapt to environments that may become their homes for extended periods whilst maintaining hope for eventual resettlement.
Creating Stability Amid Uncertainty
Despite the temporary nature of their accommodation, parents in asylum centres work tirelessly to create a sense of home for their children. Demiel enjoys the football field at the centre and appreciates the recent move to quieter accommodation, noting ‘in the other building there was always a lot of noise. We couldn’t really sleep well in the evening’ [1]. His younger brother Dayl finds comfort in friendships within the centre and enjoys school with ‘a very nice teacher’ [1]. Their parents, Dakhiel and Dalal, face the complex challenge of providing stability whilst acknowledging the temporary nature of their situation. ‘They know that they will eventually leave the asylum centre here too. And yet we have to give them the feeling that this is their home for now. But it’s difficult, because it’s never stable,’ Dakhiel explains [1].
The Broader Crisis: Emergency Accommodation Pressures
The situation extends far beyond individual families, with over 7,000 children currently residing in emergency shelters alone [2]. Political commentator Lisa Westerveld noted on 15 May 2026 that ‘right-wing parties themselves have not implemented the distribution law in recent years, resulting in more than 7,000 children staying in emergency shelters alone’ [2]. This emergency accommodation proves significantly more expensive than regular asylum centres whilst providing less stable conditions for children’s development [2]. The failure to implement proper distribution policies has created a system where children experience prolonged uncertainty at a crucial stage of their development.
Family Separation and Long-Term Impact
The asylum process often results in family separation, adding another layer of complexity to children’s experiences. Dakhiel and Dalal’s eldest son Daniel remains in Iraq, a situation that weighs heavily on the family [1]. Mother Dalal video calls with Daniel four times daily, stating ‘It’s no different, but I dream of holding my son in my arms again’ [1]. The parents explain that since the war in Iraq, no Yezidi family has remained intact, highlighting the widespread nature of forced displacement [1]. The stress of separation and uncertainty affects the parents’ health, with Dakhiel losing significant weight and Dalal receiving treatment for stress-related complaints [1]. Despite these challenges, the parents work to shield their children from adult anxieties, with Dakhiel noting: ‘We try to make life fun for them. We don’t want what we experienced to happen to our children too. Even though we sometimes don’t enjoy it, they do enjoy it’ [1].