Asylum protests culminate in violence locally. Mayors receive encouraging messages from the cabinet. But the House of Representatives is arguing about whether flaring right-wing extremism is the culprit, or rather the ‘asylum problem’. The asylum minister is trying to bring those sides together, although that is difficult.
HK
Hanneke Keultjesand Niels Klaassen
The government will tackle violence during asylum protests with ‘our own democratic constitutional state’, Minister Bart van den Brink (Asylum, VVD) said in the House of Representatives on Tuesday. Anyone who misbehaves can receive an area ban or a penalty via summary justice. Because demonstrating is everyone’s right, the minister said during question time, but: “Violence is in no way part of that.”
Yet this has happened in almost every protest against the arrival of asylum seekers in recent weeks. In Apeldoorn this week, demonstrators were arrested four nights in a row and officers were pelted with fireworks, exploded in Den Bosch Last weekend an explosive device was fired at a proposed asylum shelter. And windows were smashed at town halls in IJsselstein and Loosdrecht. Officers were also pelted there.
‘Not legitimate’
According to the left-wing parties in the House of Representatives, the demonstrations have ‘nothing to do with it with legitimate protest’. “It is extreme right-wing and neo-Nazi movements that organize this kind of resistance,” says Denk MP Ismail El Abassi. He is referring to the Defense groups that take part in demonstrations against asylum reception.
The MP wants to hear from Van den Brink that it concerns extreme right-wing terrorist violence. The minister does not say that. According to the CDA member, only the Public Prosecution Service can assess the motive for violence. The government is investigating, together with the AIVD, whether there is ‘organized extremism’. “We look at what patterns can be seen.”
At the same time, says Van den Brink, ‘we have to debate with each other about how we deal with asylum’.
That is exactly where the contrast lies in the House of Representatives. While JA21 believes that the demonstrations show that there is no longer support for asylum reception, the Party for the Animals believes that the debate should not be about asylum but rather about extreme right-wing violence. PvdD MP Christine Teunissen believes that there is incitement, ‘also in this Chamber’.
In Loosdrecht, national political leaders such as Lidewij de Vos (FvD), Gidi Markuszower (Groep Markuszower) and Mona Keijzer showed themselves last week. But this Tuesday they remain silent during Question Time.
Wilders wants more resistance
Geert Wilders did make himself heard. The PVV leader hopes that resistance will only increase, without violence, and that ‘more people will demonstrate’ so that the dispersal law is not implemented. But Minister Van den Brink believes that MPs then ‘leave the mayors alone’. “If you say: don’t implement that law, you are saying to local administrators: you are alone.”
The dispersal law was previously adopted by a majority of parliament. If Wilders wants to get rid of this, he must get the House of Representatives on board.
During question time, opposition parties want to know whether Van den Brink has enough support in this dossier from coalition partners, such as the VVD. That party has always been very critical of the dispersal law.
For example, VVD Deputy Prime Minister Dilan Yesilgöz refused to speak outright in favor of that law before the May recess. “I think the VVD could speak out a bit more,” says CDA leader Henri Bontenbal when asked. “It is not a menu of options. Once it is a law, just support it.”
However, Asylum Minister Van den Brink says he ‘feel the full support of the cabinet’. He also says he supports local administrators. “I wholeheartedly support municipalities in not giving in to violence.” However, Loosdrecht and Den Bosch adjusted their plans after protests: in the North Holland town, emergency shelter was reduced from 110 people to 70 and in the Brabant city the decision on shelter for underage asylum seekers was postponed.
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