Strict asylum laws on shaky ground in Senate; CDA plans to vote against

The CDA will vote against both asylum laws proposed by the caretaker Cabinet on Thursday, party leader Henri Bontenbal said on Wednesday. This concerns both the emergency asylum measures bill and the two-status system. Support from the CDA is especially important for the bill to pass the Senate.

For Bontenbal, the law has become "impassable" because the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, accepted two amendments on Tuesday.

The first asylum law suggestion is from the PVV. It is a proposal to criminalize undocumented residency. The asylum bill, initiated by the BBB, also states that helping rejected asylum seekers should be punishable. “That really touches on our principles and values, which is why I am so firm on this,” Bontenbal said.

When it comes to the two-status system, Bontenbal described it as “an unworkable law." To address this, the CDA wanted to postpone the implementation, but the amendment to arrange this was rejected by Parliament.

The CDA has criticized the laws for a while and has described the way the legislative process unfolded as “extremely shaky.” In principle, the Christian democrats are in favor of a stricter asylum policy. “We really wanted to get these laws across the finish line.” Bontenbal once again emphasized that his party had taken a “constructive” approach throughout the last Cabinet term, but that this is where they draw the line. “What we keep getting in return is amateurism.”

Bontenbal said that the parties that voted in favor of the amendments formed his decision. “They made it impossible for us to vote in favor.” SGP, VVD, BBB, FVD, and JA21 voted in favor of the PVV amendment to ensure that refugees with residency permits are no longer given preference when it comes to social housing. These parties are good for 75 seats in parliament, but not all MPs were present at the vote. It finished with 72 votes in favor and 69 against.

The CDA leader has already discussed his decision with the party’s Senate faction. That group intends to “send the asylum emergency law straight back” in its current form. Bontenbal and the Senate faction are also “completely aligned” when it comes to the two-status system. However, he still sees a small chance that their position could change following the implementation assessment expected in September.

A total of 16 amendments were accepted by the Tweede Kamer. This includes a proposal from the ChristenUnie to give priority specifically to housing seekers with underage children.

The BBB also proposed ending the practice of municipalities suing each other over housing development projects. A majority in parliament supported this change.

Additionally, a proposal by the NSC to impose a maximum time frame for local governments to resolve disputes over housing locations was accepted. If no agreement is reached within that time, the housing minister can take over the decision-making, accelerating project timelines.

The PVV will be voting in favor of both proposals, the party's leader, Geert Wilders, said on X. During last week’s substantive debate on the proposed laws, which were originally submitted by former PVV minister Marjolein Faber, the PVV declined to say whether it would vote in favor or against. The party said its decision would depend on which amendments from the Tweede Kamer would be adopted. The PVV stated it would not accept a “watered-down version” of the legislation. Wilders concluded that the bills were “not watered down, but even tightened” by the Tweede Kamer.

The PVV considers the asylum laws “a step in the right direction” and will therefore vote in favor, said Wilders. He previously caused the collapse of the Cabinet because the other coalition parties did not immediately support his proposals to tighten asylum policy further. Those additional measures, he now announces, will be “a key issue in the elections.”