Motion of no confidence against Justice Min. for incorrect family reunification figures

In the last days of her ministership, outgoing Justice Minister Dilan Yeşilgoz is facing a motion of no confidence submitted by SP, PvdD, and DENK. GroenLinks-PvdA submitted a motion of censure against the VVD Minister for providing incorrect figures on stacked family reunification applications by asylum seekers in the run-up to the parliamentary election. Both motions will be voted on on Tuesday.

Just before the elections, the VVD leader told the Volkskrant that thousands of distant relatives of asylum seekers come to the Netherlands every year. In reality, there are about 70 per year. The submitting parties resent Yeşilgöz for not apologizing for using incorrect figures. The fact that she did not ask her officials for up-to-date figures when there was social unrest about the issue also angered the parliamentarians.

Yeşilgöz acknowledged in the parliamentary debate that, in retrospect, she had made “a fundamental mistake.” But she insisted that it was not deliberate. Her critics did not accept that. They believe her “mistake” was for political gain. Immigration, and asylum seekers in particular, played a big role in the election campaigns of the right-wing parties currently forming the new Cabinet together. The Minister and VVD leader should and could have known that the figures were correct and should at least have checked them.

Yeşilgöz screwed up, SP leader Jimmy Dijk said in the motion of no confidence he submitted. She has also shown no reflection on why she made those statements. “She can sneer at the Tweede Kamer, see the truth as optional, blame everything and everyone, but we will not be fooled,” said Dijk.

Kati Piri of GroenLinks-PvdA submitted the slightly less serious motion of censure. “The Minister has admitted that she made mistakes but has not apologized.” D66 and Volt called the debate “a big disappointment” because Yeşilgöz has long maintained an image of frequent abuse of the asylum procedure, while this was not the case and did not reflect on this enough. The D66 is still considering whether to support the motion of censure.

Don Ceder of the ChristenUnie spoke of “fables upon fables” but won’t support either motion. “They go too far. I hope that the Minister will apologize in her last words.” She didn’t.

The motions will likely not get support from the new coalition parties PVV, NSC, and BBB. However, NSC parliamentarian Olger van Dijk also emphasized that Yeşilgöz “should have done more to uncover the facts.”