Grip on migration, simplified procedures Dutch gov't priorities next year: King's Speech

In the coming year, the Dutch government will work hard on getting migration under control, guaranteeing Dutch people’s livelihoods, and simplifying government systems, King Willem-Alexander said in his Budget Day speech. It is his first speech written by the Schoof I Cabinet.

Getting a grip on migration is a top priority for the government in the coming year, the King said. “Asylum migration, family reunification, labor migration, and study migration have caused the Dutch population to grow to 18 million inhabitants much faster than expected. This puts great pressure on our facilities and our way of living together,” the King said in the speech written by the Cabinet.

The government will do everything in its power to quickly and drastically reduce the number of asylum seekers seeking safety in the Netherlands. The asylum process must be faster, stricter, and more modest, the King said. The government is working on an asylum crisis law to achieve that. Plans include a “tit-for-tat policy” for asylum seekers from countries deemed safe by the Netherlands who cause trouble, making it punishable to refuse to cooperate in deportation, and stricter conditions for getting a Dutch passport.

A large part of today’s acute problems, such as migration, agriculture, and housing construction, among other things, stems from “an overwhelming complexity of too many rules, procedures, and a need for control that has grown over the years.” In many cases, those rules “do not fit in with everyday practice,” the King said. “Too often, people get the message that something is not possible or allowed for formal reasons, which makes them feel like they are losing control over their own lives.”

This is also partly to blame for the hardening of society. “Increasingly, things that should be very normal are disappearing from view, such as a roof over your head, an adequate income, or a familiar living environment. This lack of certainty gnaws away at people’s independence. It also leads to mutual irritability and a loss of solidarity”

This requires simplification and more space and certainty for citizens, the King said. “That requires good governance and a better rule of law.” He said the Cabinet will work out plans for this.

At the bottom line, the government has “very clear” financial proposals on income, expenditure, and purchasing power, the King said. “The clear agreement for the long term is that the government’s budget will remain in order through strict budgetary policy,” he said. “In the short term, it is important that everyone gets a little more to spend as soon as possible. All groups can expect a plus in purchasing power next year, including workers with middle income, but also people with lower incomes and pensioners.”

The government will follow the Dutch Olympic and Paralympic athletes’ example in the coming years, the King said. “With their great performances, the athletes of TeamNL have shown what can be achieved with talent, hard work, and perseverance, even when things go wrong,” the King said. “When we put our minds to something, we can achieve a lot and maintain the high quality of life in our country. With that in mind, the government, together with you, wants to address the concerns that were so clearly reflected in the election results of November and that affect people’s livelihoods.”

The speech started a few minutes late because an older woman became unwell in the heat of the Koninklijke Schouwburg and had to be brought outside. It is the third year that the King’s Speech happened in the Koninklijke Schouwburg instead of the traditional Ridderzaal due to renovations on the Binnenhof.