Strict asylum measures to be debated, voted on by Dutch Cabinet members on Friday

The Cabinet is expected to move ahead with a set of measures put forward by Minister of Asylum and Immigration Marjolein Faber during the regular weekly meeting of ministers on Friday. The intended measures to deal with issues like asylum influx, reception, and family reunification have been finalized by Faber, sources close to the situation confirmed to the NOS.

Most of the measures were already announced, but they had to be formally stated for the purpose of legislative. Faber’s measures include scrapping indefinite residency permits for those approved for asylum status. The government will also cap the validity of fixed residency periods for those with asylum status at three years instead of every five years. It will also become more difficult for families of asylum seekers to follow their family members to the Netherlands.

There will also be a change in the decision-making regarding refugee claims. Those fleeing their country due to their sexuality or political status will be given more protection than those fleeing their country due to war.

The four coalition parties include Faber's far-right PVV and the right-wing VVD, BBB, and NSC. The issue of asylum has been divisive even within the coalition, dating back to the early days of discussions between the four parties shortly after the November 2023 election.

Plans to declare a national state of emergency, which would have given Prime Minister Dick Schoof the power to circumvent Parliament and established law regarding asylum seekers, were abolished after objections from the NSC. Instead, the four parties agreed on a watered-down package in October that forced PVV leader Geert Wilders to concede that his party would not get the state of emergency declaration he promised voters.

Wilders said that he will not accept any more changes to the asylum plans. He even threatened to pull out of the Coalition if this were to happen. Wilders said that his party has already made many concessions in the last few months. His coalition reached an agreement with the opposition parties of CDA, SGP, ChristenUnie, and JA21 on reducing the planned education spending cuts.

This came after the PVV had also made concessions regarding the tax plan and the state emergency law. Wilders told journalists this week that he does not want to go down that path when it comes to asylum measures.

The PVV is the largest party in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Parliament, and currently polling as the most popular party with voters. The parties working with the PVV have seen a loss in support in the past year, especially the NSC. A snap election could see that party fall from 20 seats down to fewer than three.