News item | 08-12-2025 | 16:06
Today in Brussels, important results were achieved at the Judicial and Home Affairs Council that should ensure a stricter EU asylum policy. The Netherlands, together with like-minded member states, has long been advocating for less influx, more returns and more partnerships.
More effective return policy
For example, the Council has agreed to concrete measures to ensure more returns. This means more obligations for asylum seekers who have no right to stay, more options for return such as return hubs and faster procedures.
Minister Van Weel of Asylum and Migration:
“The Netherlands’ commitment to a stricter EU asylum policy has today led to concrete results on returns, better compliance with Dublin rules and more focus on partnerships. With these measures we gain more control over who comes to the Netherlands and we ensure that more people who are not allowed to stay actually return. Important steps towards a stricter and more effective asylum policy.”
Better functioning of Dublin rules
The Dublin rules must start working again, so that asylum seekers go through the asylum procedure in the first European country they arrive in. With an agreement on the so-called solidarity mechanism, the most important countries and the Commission also commit to its proper functioning. This mechanism should ensure a better distribution of the pressure on inflows into EU member states. We have succeeded in keeping the Dutch contribution to this limited. This means that no additional asylum seekers will come to the Netherlands under this mechanism. The Netherlands will contribute 21.9 million euros financially. This amount can still be partly replaced by Dublin compensations. This means that asylum applications that have been processed in the Netherlands, while this should actually have been handled by other EU member states, count towards our contribution. The Netherlands is currently discussing this with Greece.
More focus on partnerships
The Netherlands has also argued for more partnerships with third countries to be able to send people back. An agreement was also reached on this today. For example, return hubs are included in the return regulation. In addition, the conditions of the safe third country concept have been adjusted to make it possible to return people earlier. For example, if someone has traveled through a safe country or the Netherlands has agreements with a country.
Joint list of safe countries
Finally, agreements have also been made on a list of safe countries. As a result, asylum applications from these safe countries are treated in the same way throughout the EU. This should lead to faster processing of asylum applications and therefore faster returns.