- The Netherlands wants to be in charge of its asylum policy again
- A European Commission spokesperson confirmed that the relevant request has been received at EU level
- The country wants to declare a state of emergency in order to end part of the asylum law
The Netherlands wants to be in charge of its asylum policy again
The Netherlands has applied to the European Commission for an exemption from EU asylum rules. This was reported on the X network by Marjolein Faber, the radical right-wing Minister for Asylum. "We have to be responsible for our own asylum policy again", she said.
It is unlikely that the Dutch wish will be granted. Such an opt-out normally requires the approval of all 27 EU countries. In addition, EU countries have already agreed on asylum reform and now have to implement it.
A European Commission spokesperson confirmed that the relevant request has been received at EU level
However, according to her, an exception can only be made through treaty changes. "In this context, we do not think that the EU regulations on asylum and migration would be changed immediately," the spokesperson said. Therefore, the Netherlands will have to continue to respect them.
According to Faber, the Dutch government aims for a "significant reduction" in the number of asylum seekers and irregular migrants arriving. This is necessary "to fulfill our constitutional obligations such as housing, healthcare, and education."
The new government has already announced a radical change of course on asylum policy. After winning the November elections, the four-party coalition included for the first time the radical right-wing Freedom Party (PVV), led by the right-wing populist Geert Wilders.
The country wants to declare a state of emergency in order to end part of the asylum law
The coalition wants to declare a state of emergency to terminate part of the asylum law without parliamentary approval. Lawyers question the legality of this measure. The asylum issue also divides the coalition. The moderate coalition party NSC has already stated that it will withdraw its support for the application of the emergency law if there is no legal basis for it.
Experts and authorities point out that the number of new asylum seekers is relatively stable at around 40 000 per year. However, there have been problems with their accommodation for many years.
Exceptions for EU Member States are rare. Denmark, for example, has one because of the euro area, and Ireland because of the Schengen Agreement, as it shares a border with the United Kingdom.
Based on ELTA reports
