The Dutch government, currently led by the nationalist PPV with Geert Wilders at the helm, wanted to relieve the nation of migration rules set forth by the European Union.
Marjolein Faber, Minister of Asylum and Migration of the Netherlands, posted on X that she has informed the European Commision of their intention to no longer be subject to the EU regulations when it comes to migrants, asking for the Netherlands to be “in charge of their own asylum policy.”
Meanwhile, Wilders’ government strives to declare a ‘national asylum crisis’ which would allow the government full control without prior parliamentary approval.
Brussels is likely to deny the request, provided all EU members including the Netherlands had previously agreed on the bloc-wide migration pact in 2023. Eric Mamer, an EU spokesperson, commented that one cannot principally opt out of the EU legislation.
Netherlands has been receiving proportionally less first-time asylum seekers, compared to other member states. Nonetheless, the nation’s only registration center has been frequently overwhelmed, resulting in many asylum applicants resorting to sleeping outdoors.
