New asylum laws will overwhelm immigration service; Public opposition growing

After an in-depth assessment of two stringent asylum laws, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) has repeated its warning that the measures could severely strain the agency’s capacity. Political party CDA opposed the two-status system bill in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, citing these concerns. The party also expressed little expectation that the Senate’s position would shift following this review.

Under the two-status system law, asylum seekers are split into two categories, with one group granted fewer rights. The asylum emergency measures law eliminates permanent residence permits for asylum seekers and shortens the maximum term of temporary permits from five years to three.

In the review, the IND repeats the criticism it has frequently voiced over the past year. According to the service, both laws will generate “a great deal of additional work,” painting “a worrisome picture.” This warning comes while the IND, already stretched thin, is working to implement the European migration pact.

The IND expects to become more productive in the coming years by “working smarter,” wrote Director-General Rhodia Maas. But that “will not be enough,” she added. “Further growth is no longer helpful, as there are limits to what my organization can handle in such quick succession,” the director also wrote.

According to Maas, organizations in the asylum sector will face “an extraordinary number of additional appeals” from asylum seekers challenging decisions. She predicted that, especially at the outset, the sector would struggle to hire the “several hundred” full-time employees required to manage the workload.

Caretaker asylum ministers Mona Keijzer (BBB) and David van Weel (VVD) “acknowledge that the implementation of these laws has consequences for the asylum process,” a ministry spokesperson said. They therefore consider it “important that clarity about these laws is provided as soon as possible, so that the IND can begin implementation without delay.”

One of the other reasons that the CDA voted against the asylum emergency measures law in the Tweede Kamer was concerns that it would criminalize illegal residence. However, after the cabinet promised to adjust this late addition, the party suggested it might support the bill in the Senate. Without the CDA’s backing, securing a majority in the Senate for both laws remains uncertain.

The petition by VluchtelingenWerk Nederland against the new asylum laws has been signed more than 100,000 times. As of Wednesday morning, the count stood at 100,560. The refugee support organization said that this reflects “considerable backing” for its resistance to the tougher rules.

The petition calls on the Senate to show “compassion.” VluchtelingenWerk states that the bills already approved by the Tweede Kamer will cause chaos, longer procedures, and years of uncertainty. The organization describes them as “unjust and unworkable.”

Concerns focus not only on the criminalization of illegal residence but also on other provisions. The new laws limit temporary residence permits to three years and curb family reunification. Proponents argue this will sharply reduce the number of asylum seekers, while VluchtelingenWerk warns that the legislation “directly jeopardizes refugees’ livelihoods.”