KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Dutch Ministry for Asylum has announced that Afghan women and girls seeking asylum in the Netherlands are now more likely to receive residence permits.
According to the Dutch News website Holland Times, under a decision by Dutch Asylum Minister Bart van den Brink, Afghan women and girls will, “in most cases,” qualify for residence permits.
Bart van den Brink made this decision after officials from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned that conditions for women and girls under Taliban rule had deteriorated further.
Van den Brink said that he had changed the asylum policy toward Afghan asylum seekers because he felt it no longer adequately reflected the realities in Afghanistan.
According to Holland Times, under the policy that had been in place until now, a total of 760 Afghans applied for asylum in the Netherlands in 2025. The figure was 490 in 2024 and 670 in 2023.
Dutch asylum policy came under heavy criticism in late 2025 after the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), followed by Minister David van Weel, rejected the asylum applications of several Afghan women. At the time, Van Weel argued that women could, in theory, “adapt” to life under Taliban rule.
Holland Times reported that following strong public backlash and a series of legal challenges, the asylum minister changed the policy in early 2026 and eventually granted residence permits to four Afghan women.
The Dutch government’s decision comes amid growing international concern over the deteriorating conditions faced by women and girls in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, women have been barred from secondary and higher education, restricted from working in many sectors, and excluded from much of public life.
Human rights organizations and international bodies have repeatedly warned that these measures have severely limited the fundamental rights and freedoms of Afghan women, prompting many to seek protection abroad.
The worsening situation has contributed to a continued rise in migration from Afghanistan, particularly among women, girls, human rights advocates, journalists, and former professionals who fear persecution or the loss of basic rights. As neighboring countries tighten immigration policies and legal pathways remain limited, many Afghans have turned to asylum systems in Europe and other regions.
The Netherlands’ decision to expand protection for Afghan women reflects a growing recognition among some governments that the circumstances facing women in Afghanistan may warrant international protection and residence rights.
Moreover, a recent UN-backed report, 2025 Gender Analysis of Humanitarian Sectors in Afghanistan, found that Taliban restrictions on women’s movement, education, employment, and participation in humanitarian work have become a major factor driving Afghanistan’s worsening humanitarian crisis for women and girls.
The report noted that restrictions on female aid workers have weakened humanitarian operations and reduced access to essential services, including healthcare, protection assistance, and aid distribution. According to the analysis, many women and girls are unable to safely access support without female staff, while the ban on women working for aid organizations has further limited the delivery of humanitarian assistance across the country.
