Eric van der Burg, outgoing State Secretary for Justice and Security for the VVD, has suffered severe food poisoning and is therefore temporarily unable to work. Given the weight of his portfolio, he must be replaced immediately, outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte wrote on Saturday X, former Twitter. State Secretary Christophe van der Maat (VVD, Defense) will therefore take over his duties from Monday, October 30.
During this period, Van der Maat’s portfolio will be filled by Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren (D66). According to the Government Information Service, Van der Maat will be sworn in by the king on Monday afternoon. It is not yet known how long Van der Burg’s recovery will take.
Van der Burg was admitted to hospital on Sunday during a working visit to Aruba after he became unwell. The visits he would subsequently make to Curaçao and Bonaire were cancelled. As State Secretary, Van der Burg is responsible for asylum and migration. The tension surrounding Ter Apel probably means that he will be replaced so quickly: it Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) warned on Friday that the reception center threatens to become so full this weekend that people will have to spend the night in the waiting areas.