News item | 28-04-2023 | 3:00 PM
The government is facing major financial challenges and has had to make difficult choices in adopting the Spring Memorandum. The far-reaching events of the past year have resulted in budget setbacks, such as the war in Ukraine, higher interest rates, but also the increased influx of asylum seekers. The cabinet has chosen to cover the extra costs for the asylum chain up to and including 2026 and to cover the interest for 2.5 billion euros for the increase during the government’s term of office. The government has also decided to invest extra in improving the surveillance and security system and youth protection.
A new system of protecting people
The Dutch Safety Board had already made recommendations to Minister Yeşilgöz-Zegerius to improve the quality of the surveillance and security system. The system consists of services involved in protecting politicians, judges and lawyers under threat, among others. This year an extra 14 million euros is available. From next year, an extra 112 million will be invested on a structural basis.
With the new investments, the system will be revised and expanded. This system must be clearer, more threat-oriented and more transparent than the current system of surveillance and protection. In the new system, the person to be monitored remains central. Investments are being made in better access to relevant information about possible threats and in the analysis thereof. The way of organizing is also changing and is being simplified. There will be a single authority for the protection of seriously endangered persons within the system at the Minister of Justice and Security, carried out by the National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism (NCTV). The government will also continue to invest in the people and resources for the implementation of security measures by the police and the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee.
Investing in youth protection
The government is allocating 43 million euros for youth protection this year, taking an important step towards structurally solving the problems in this sector. Minister Weerwind for Legal Protection sees good youth protection as a joint responsibility of the State, municipalities and Certified Institutions. A judge can impose youth protection on parents if a child up to the age of 18 cannot grow up safely in a family. After this year, the government will structurally allocate 50 million euros annually for youth protection.
The aim is to use the money to reduce the workload for professionals in youth protection, among other things. The youth protectors should therefore be given more time to better help vulnerable children and families. In the future, children and families must also be able to count on a regular youth protector more often. The exact details of the funds will be worked out in more detail.
State-wide coverage
All ministries (with the exception of the Ministry of Defence) contribute to the government-wide coverage target. The Ministry of Justice and Security is also making a structural contribution to a balanced package of measures in the VJN with spending cuts of 190 million euros. The supplementary budget of the Ministry of Justice and Security will be sent to the House of Representatives on 9 May.