The Netherlands has unveiled its strictest asylum policy to date in a bid to manage and reduce illegal migration, following a series of new border control measures by neighboring Germany. The announcement was made on Friday by the Dutch government, led by the nationalist Party for Freedom (PVV) and its leader, Geert Wilders. This policy marks a significant shift in the country’s approach to migration.
The new measures include a comprehensive moratorium on all new asylum applications. This declaration of a national asylum crisis will enable the Dutch government to implement these policies without requiring parliamentary approval. The move has been met with criticism from opposition parties, who question both the necessity and legality of the policy changes. However, Marjolein Faber, the PVV’s migration minister, defended the measures, stating they are in line with the country’s migration laws.
According to Eurostat data, the Netherlands received asylum applications at a rate equal to the EU average in 2023, with two applications per 1,000 inhabitants. Despite this, the country’s only registration center for asylum seekers has been overwhelmed, leading to instances where refugees were forced to sleep outdoors due to insufficient facilities. The Dutch government has cited these challenges, along with housing market pressures and strained access to healthcare and education, as reasons for the new policy.
Prime Minister Dick Schoof, who is leading the government due to Wilders’ decision to forego the role of prime minister, emphasized that the new policy aims to address these issues. The government has also announced plans to seek an exemption from EU asylum rules, although the European Union has indicated resistance to such a move. EU spokesman Eric Mamer reiterated that changes to adopted legislation are not typically permitted.
The Dutch government’s new policy will halt the issuance of open-ended asylum permits and significantly restrict family reunification options for those granted asylum. Additionally, a proposed law will suspend all decisions on new asylum applications for up to two years and limit the facilities available to asylum seekers. The policy will also include stricter border controls to tackle human trafficking and irregular migration.
Geert Wilders, who won last year’s election on a platform promising stringent migration controls, has seen his vision come to fruition with this new cabinet formation. Although Wilders himself did not assume the role of prime minister, the new measures reflect his party’s hardline stance on migration issues.
