This paper explores the impact of a regulated society such as the Netherlands on the lives of refugees in general and on those of Iranian women refugees in particular. Two periods are distinguished in regard to Dutch asylum policies: the 1980s and post-1990. For the 1980s when refugee reception was less restricted, I use empirical material collected between 1995 and 2000. The women I interviewed during this period were leftist activists involved in the Iranian revolution of 1979 and had to leave Iran because of their political backgrounds. The material used for the post-1990 or more restricted period, is mainly from secondary sources, supplemented by occasional, informal visits to asylum seeker centres. The paper argues that a strict refugee policy - especially the policy that was put in place during the 1990s - has a direct effect on the affected refugees by making them dependents of the state. These restricted policies reinforce the image of refugees as problems in society and have an effect, albeit less direct, on the lives of the refugees who arrived prior to the 1990s and who are now Dutch citizens. © The Author [2005]. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.