Parties from left to right recognize that the Netherlands is deep in an asylum crisis, now that there has been a huge shortage of reception places for months. Following the example of right-wing parties such as PVV, JA21, FvD and Groep Van Haga, the coalition party VVD is now also arguing for a reception stop. “It is not a taboo for us to temporarily close the asylum desk,” says VVD MP Brekelmans. According to the liberal, there are also legal options for this.
According to the VVD, the only structural solution is to reduce the influx. “Otherwise it’s mopping with the tap open,” says Brekelmans. In the short term, he wants to increase the number of border controls as emergency measures and make agreements with Germany and Belgium on how to deal with asylum seekers who cross the border.
‘Play hide and seek’
According to JA21, there is a political majority to force the Secretary of State to put an asylum stop, he warns that the asylum influx this summer threatens to go to 1600 asylum seekers a week. Brekelmans first wants the State Secretary to investigate whether this holds up legally. He expects that this will be possible with Article 111 of the Aliens Act. “Whether it is possible depends on the situation,” says Brekelmans. According to him, that depends on the extent to which the country is in an emergency.
FvD MP Jansen calls the legal explanation ‘playing hide and seek’. “The curfew could also be fixed in no time when needed, so why couldn’t it be?”
D66 MP Podt sees the solution as ‘a fair distribution of asylum migrants across all municipalities’: “And at least an extra application center.” The cabinet is working on a bill to ensure a fairer distribution. The provinces will then be given the power to enforce reception places in all municipalities.