Ministerie van Justitie, Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst

“IND on the right track towards resolving outstanding bottlenecks”

The Netherlands Court of Audit assessed the approach to and implementation of IND improvement measures in 2006 and took the view that the IND was on the right track towards resolving outstanding bottlenecks. This is confirmed by the Netherlands Court of Audit in the State Review for 2006, presented to the House of Representatives on Wednesday 16 May.

In response to the report from the Netherlands Court of Audit dated 15 September 2005 in relation to the operation of the IND and its cooperating organisations, the Cabinet indicated that it would adopt most of the recommendations, and that a reconsideration of the topic of modernising the IND had been started.
The Netherlands Court of Audit confirmed in the State Review for 2006 that the IND had been working systematically since 2006 on improved operational practices. A number of the measures already implemented have resulted in significant improvements: disposing of backlogs, shortening processing times for cases at first instance, reliability of information and accessibility by telephone. 
The IND still has to expand or implement a number of measures. This applies, for example, to the development of the new IT processes, handling of fraud and setting up the counters for the IND front office , but also to the shortening of the term for dealing with appeal cases in relation to the award of visas, Provisional Residents Permits (MVVs) and Regular Residence Permits (VVRs). 
In a response, the present Minister of Justice, Minister Hirsch Ballin, indicated that the IND would continue to stay on the right track: “As regards the improvement of operational practices, I would also point out that the expansion or implementation of a number of measures – including the setting up of counters for the front office, aiming for timeliness and also the development of a new information system – have already been incorporated into the IND renewal programme entitled ‘IND Bij de Tijd’ [IND with the times] and are being achieved as a result of a systematic approach.”

The principal director of IND, Peter Veld, is of course also pleased about the findings made by the Netherlands Court of Audit. “We can all be proud of this”, he stated. “But we are not there yet. The next few years will also be years of radical change and further improvement. The findings of the Netherlands Court of Audit show that we are on the right track.”