NSC joins opposition rejecting plan to put “sending you back” signs at asylum centers

Asylum Minister Marjolein Faber must drop her plans of placing discouraging signs at asylum seeker centers. A majority of the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament has voted for a motion which is calling for the plan to be withdrawn. Coalition party NSC gave the deciding vote.

Faber said that she had been inspired during a visit to Denmark to find ways to discourage asylum seekers from coming to the Netherlands. The signs were reported as an idea that came forth from the visit, although no such signs have been seen in Denmark. “We’re working on sending you back" was one of the lines that was reportedly set to be displayed at the center.

Almost the whole opposition voted for the motion, which was submitted by the CDA. In addition to left-wing parties like GroenLinks-PvdA and D66, parties that are in favor of stricter asylum rules, like SGP and JA21, also voted for the motion.

BBB and VVD voted against the motion, although the coalition parties are critical of Faber’s plan. “This distracts from what this is really about. We want the cabinet to start working on solutions to structurally reduce the influx of asylum seekers,” said Claudia van Zanten (BBB) ​​before the vote, also on behalf of the VVD.

Not only Faber but also PVV minister Dirk Beljaarts was denied by the Tweede Kamer on Wednesday. He had planned to give PostNL an extra day for mail delivery, but under pressure from the Tweede Kamer, he decided against it.