Asylum policy has Netherlands divided: Planning office

The arrival of asylum seekers and immigration in general are still the greatest issues in the Netherlands by far, according to the Social and Cultural Planning Office's quarterly report. Opinions on the matter are very divided - a large group point to the negatives of asylum seekers in the country, and another large group is alarmed by the other's attitude, ANP reports.

For the third quarter in a row immigration and integration are the most frequently mentioned concerns among Dutch. Asked about the biggest social problems in the country, 56 percent of Dutch spontaneously named these issues.

According to the Planning Office, there is also a middle group that does not really know what to feel. They know the arguments for both pros and cons and feel that both have merit. This group believes that caring for asylum seekers is a moral obligation, but at the same time worries about how to proceed

Other topics that concerned Dutch people this last quarter are healthcare, income and the economy.