News item | 28-08-2025 | 16:29
The cabinet reinforces the return policy with, among other things, a longer detention period, the obligation to cooperate in the return process and its own detention regime. Minister Van Weel (asylum and migration) today sends a change in the bill of the Return and Aliens Detention Act to the Lower House. That is an agreement from the coalition agreement, which must ensure that there is more grip on migration.
Van Weel: “If you are not allowed to stay in the Netherlands, you have to leave as quickly as possible. We now see too often that foreigners are not cooperating in their return. We are therefore sharpening the law. For example, a foreign national may soon be obliged to participate in a conversation with an embassy for an emergency travel document. The law fits in better with reality: indispensable: ”
Necessity
The law regulates that, among other things, the police and the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee can stop someone longer to determine whether alien detention should be imposed. They can also claim the foreign national to cooperate in the return process. Furthermore, the law regulates its own regime for aliens in custody. Now the same regime applies to these foreigners as to criminal prisoners. It is legally necessary that foreigners get their own regime because they are waiting for their expulsion and not serving a punishment such as criminal prisoners
Also may The director of the establishment for aliens detention data on the items that the foreign national takes into account in custody Share with the return and departure service to improve and accelerate the return process under certain circumstances. This also applies to sharing information about the nationalities of visitors and telephone numbers with which the foreign national called.
With the Return and Aliens Detention Act, the Cabinet sets up a legislative package for a human detention whereby decisive action can be taken against persons who do not cooperate in return.
History
The Return and Aliens Detention Act has a long history. It is important that the bill is up-to-date. That is why changes have been made to the original bill over the years. In addition, the law process rather stopped due to the fall of earlier cabinets. The fact that the change in this bill is now going to the Lower House brings the law a step closer to implementation.