Asylum Min. working with skeleton crew; Only 1 spokesperson left, no political assistant
The government’s asylum policy is in the news almost every day, but Asylum Minister Marjolein Faber’s inner circle is down to a skeleton crew. The PVV Minister has only one of her three spokespersons left, and she no longer has a political assistant because he failed the security screening, RTL Nieuws reports.
Faber’s team previously consisted of three spokespersons, with a fourth joining in mid-September. This very experienced spokesperson was meant as a fill-in for a spokesperson going on maternity leave for four months. But he quit the assignment in mid-October saying that there was “no match” between him and Faber.
The pregnant spokesperson’s maternity leave has now started. And last week, another spokesperson returned from a holiday only to immediately be “sent on leave” again until after the summer recess, the broadcaster discovered. What will happen then is unclear. The Ministry denies that Fabre sent this spokesperson away, saying there was “no political steering whatsoever.”
“This is a combination of circumstances,” the Ministry of Asylum and Migration’s communications department told RTL in a statement. The situation is “quite tough” at the moment. Faber is working with only one spokesperson, assisted by a press officer. “We are, of course, looking for a solution to serve the organization and the Minister well.”
Faber also currently has no political assistant - the official link between the Minister and parliament. The political assistant plays a vital role in gathering parliamentary and Senate support for Cabinet plans. Sources told RTL that Faber’s political assistant didn’t pass the security screening.
A political assistant would be even more valuable to Faber than usual at the moment. The government just presented a package of very far-reaching measures to reduce the number of people seeking asylum in the Netherlands. The PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB coalition has a majority in parliament, but not in the Senate.
