Coalition agrees to ditch asylum crisis in favor of other measures
The coalition parties PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB have reached an agreement on asylum measures after over eight hours of talks at the Catshuis, Prime Minister Dick Schoof’s official residence. The measures will be officially presented at the Council of Ministers meeting on Friday afternoon, but a draft copy has already leaked to the press.
“We have reached an agreement,” PVV leader Geert Wilders said on X. He wouldn’t comment to the press when leaving the Catshuis.
The other three party leaders did briefly address the press. Caroline van der Plas called the meeting a “very nice evening” and said the BBB could “live with” the measures agreed upon. VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz said there were some things to discuss, “but I’ am glad that we have reached an agreement.” Acting NSC leader Nicolien van Vroonhoven told the press that they’d have to wait for Friday to find out whether much has changed from the leaked draft agreement.
Sources told NOS that the party leaders made clearer agreements on scrapping the Asylum Distribution Law and the municipalities’ obligation to provide housing for refugees. The VVD was worried whether the scrapping of these measures would not be feasible for municipalities.
With the Asylum Distribution Law, the government can force municipalities to take in a fair share of asylum seekers. Quickly scrapping it would only increase pressure on the municipalities that are voluntarily taking in asylum seekers as long as the number of people needing shelter remains the same, the liberals feared.
The abolition of municipalities’ obligation to arrange housing for refugees - asylum seekers whose applications were granted and who received a residency permit - could cause the same problem. The “balanced” distribution across the country would disappear, while the number of people needing housing remains the same.
According to the broadcaster’s sources, the coalition parties therefore agreed that the abolishment of these measures must happen at the same time as legislative proposals that must reduce the number of asylum seekers. The Cabinet is planning to submit the proposals this year.
PVV leader Wilders and NSC leader Van Vroonhoven met several times this week to bridge their biggest differences on the asylum policy. On Thursday evening, they explained their plans to the other two coalition parties.
The asylum deal is largely an elaboration of the agreements made in the coalition agreement, but the PVV and NSC did add a few new plans. These include scrapping the Asylum Distribution Law this year, no longer obliging municipalities to find housing for refugees, and lowering the valid period for a residency permit from five to three years. They also want to declare parts of Syria “safe” so that Syrian asylum seekers can be rejected and refugees can be sent back.
The leaked plans already received a great deal of criticism from interest groups, municipalities, and asylum lawyers.
