The number of people from safe third countries applying for refugee status in the Netherlands has fallen sharply since December last year, and immigration officials are at a loss to explain why, the Telegraaf said at the weekend.

The paper said just 60 people from a country such as Morocco or Tunisia applied for asylum in December and 40 in January and February – which is around half the monthly average. Every year around 1,000 people from countries officially regarded as safe come to the Netherlands as refugees.

The IND said nothing had changed in its day-to-day operations which would have led to fewer requests. “Fewer people are coming,” a spokesman told the paper. “Requests from safe third country nationals are handled as a priority, in a matter of weeks.”

Safe third country nationals – usually young men – are widely regarded as the main source of trouble in refugee centres. They are also difficult to deport if their country of origin refuses to cooperate.

However, the improved relationship between the Netherlands and Morocco and Tunisia may have had an impact, because these countries are now accepting rejected asylum seekers, which could prove a deterrent, the paper said.

The IND did say it has noted a decline in total refugee numbers over the past three months.

The decline in numbers is not connected to new government policy – said to be the “toughest ever” and aimed at reducing overall refugee numbers – because that has not yet been anchored in law.

In addition, the Council of State has said two of the draft laws are unlikely to have much impact on numbers anyway.

At the weekend it emerged that tougher border checks brought in by immigration minister Marjolein Faber have had a mixed impact – more people have been turned back at the German and Belgian border, but fewer people have been arrested for human trafficking and drugs offences.