Netherlands: New mini-Schengen can stop asylum seekers with no passports

The Dutch cabinet is considering creating a new "mini-Schengen zone" with a small group of countries. This external borders in this new zone will be guarded and passport checks will be done in an effort to stop asylum seekers with no passports.

The government already had several discussions about this plan, sources in the Binnenhof told RTL Nieuws. The new mini Schengen zone will consist of the Benelux, Germany and Austria. The government also wants to set up camps in the new zone where refugees wanting to travel to the Netherlands, Belgium or Germany can be received.

The current Schengen zone consists of 26 countries - 22 European Union countries and NOrway and Switzerland. There is no internal border passport control within this zone.

According to RTL, nearly 11,620 asylum seekers entered the Netherlands without a passport in the first nine months of this year.