The so-called dispersal law, which should ensure a fairer distribution of asylum seekers across the Netherlands, has not been declared controversial and can therefore still be dealt with by the Senate under the current outgoing cabinet. That has announced in the Senate on Tuesday afternoon. It is far from certain whether a majority can be found in the Senate for the law.
Earlier this month, the House of Representatives approved the dispersal law, which should provide a solution to the capacity problems within Dutch asylum reception facilities. Last year, hundreds of migrants had to sleep outside the registration center in Ter Apel, because more asylum seekers came to the Netherlands than there were places. Inside, people were sometimes forced to spend the night on chairs.
It is regularly difficult to find shelter for asylum seekers and in recent weeks Ter Apel, which has room for two thousand people, has again reached its limits. The dispersal law must distribute asylum seekers fairly across all 340 Dutch municipalities.
Also read
State Secretary is peddling an asylum law that he actually does not like
Resistance
That is why such a law is desperately needed, emphasized outgoing State Secretary for Justice and Security Eric van der Burg (VVD). He encounters strong opposition from several parties, including members of his own VVD. The Senate has a large right-wing majority, so the question is whether the law can count on a majority there. The BBB, among others, the largest in the Senate with sixteen seats, has said it will vote against.
The SGP and PVV had asked for the distribution law to be declared controversial, so that it can only be dealt with by the next cabinet. On Tuesday, only 21 senators voted in favor of this, 54 voted against. It is not yet known when the Senate will vote on the law.
Declaring the distribution law non-controversial happened in the absence of Van der Burg, who is currently recovering from severe food poisoning. He will be temporarily replaced by outgoing State Secretary for Defense Christophe van der Maat (VVD), whose portfolio is now taken over by outgoing Minister of Defense Kajsa Ollongren (D66). They will also have to look for additional shelters for asylum seekers in the near future, because Ter Apel is again almost full and people once again had to sleep on chairs.