Newly arrived refugees in the Netherlands are waiting an average of 43 weeks for their applications to be formally processed, refugee group Vluchtelingenwerk said on Friday.

The severe shortage of staff at the IND immigration service is causing the long waiting lists, the agency said. The waiting time used to be just a few days.

Vluchtelingenwerk fears the delay in processing asylum claims will also put pressure on the amount of accommodation at refugee centres, which are now becoming over-crowded.

‘Thousands of asylum seekers are waiting for long periods for certainty about their futures and this is leading to frustration, anxiety and upset,’ deputy director Jasper Kuipers said.

The organisation asked junior justice minister Mark Harbers to do ‘all he can’ to tackle the mounting waiting lists.

The IND has admitted that there is a shortage of staff, but says the tight labour market is making it difficult to recruit workers.

DutchNews.nl has also asked the IND how it plans to cope with the surge in residency applications by British nationals as the Brexit deadline nears but has not had a response.