The border controls that the Royal Military Police carry out to stop migrants without valid papers will be extended by six months, until June 8, 2026. This is what asylum minister David van Weel (VVD) wrote to the House of Representatives.
Van Weel states in the letter that this is necessary ‘given the ongoing threat to public order’. In his letter, the minister does not elaborate on what exactly this threat entails. The cabinet also hopes for a preventive effect.
The asylum minister states that the number of people who have crossed the European border without valid papers has decreased, but that the number is still high. According to Frontex, the European border control service, this concerns 112,375 border crossings throughout Europe until September 12, 2025. This is a decrease of 21 percent compared to the same period last year.
There are so far no indications that border controls are reducing the number of illegal migrants entering the Netherlands.
From December 2024 to September 2025, during these internal border controls with Belgium and Germany, 470 people were refused entry to the Netherlands and 230 people were arrested.
Since July 28, 2025, checks have also been carried out at airports. In the period up to September 8, 500 aircraft were checked here and 20 return decisions were imposed.