Many people unable to work due to long waiting times for a BSN
Do you have the right to work, but cannot get a job because you do not have a citizen service number (BSN) yet? Then you are not the only one. This is a common occurrence. Currently, 18,000 refugees are still waiting for their BSN.
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In 2022, 2,330 people were waiting for their BSN. Now there are almost 18,000. So in 2 years, the number of people waiting for a BSN has grown significantly. And it is likely that the waiting list will grow even longer in the near future. This is because municipalities, which are responsible for issuing BSNs, cannot handle the many requests. Waiting times have risen to sometimes as much as 1.5 years, leaving many people needlessly stuck at home without work.
There are 5 municipalities in the Netherlands that issue BSNs, but not enough to meet the demand. The Dutch Ministry of the Interior is looking into whether there can be more places where people can get a BSN. The ministry is also looking into whether additional money is available for this. Some municipalities, such as Amsterdam, have already started their own efforts to reduce waiting times. There, officials gave 1,500 people a BSN in 3 weeks so they can work and pay taxes.
But there is no real solution yet. Nor can you do anything yourself to reduce the waiting time for a BSN. You can, however, do a few things to show that you disagree with the long waiting time:
You can file a complaint with your municipality You can file a complaint with the organisation that treated you unfairly, such as a municipality or other government organisation.
You can contact the ombudsman You can contact the National Ombudsman. This organisation that helps people who have problems with the government and are not properly helped through normal procedures.
You can organise a demonstration or petition You have the right in the Netherlands to demonstrate if you disagree with something. You can also start a petition to draw attention to your cause.