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Netherlands Tightens Asylum Policy After Emergency Law Fails
(MENAFN) The Dutch cabinet unveiled its first set of measures Friday to overhaul asylum policy, pivoting to alternative legislative tools after the Asylum Emergency Measures Act was rejected by the Senate, media reported.
The government of Prime Minister Dilan Yesilgoz-Zegerius is moving to accelerate the designation of foreign nationals as undesirable and reinforce border enforcement mechanisms. Rather than drafting entirely new legislation, Dutch Asylum Minister Eddy van den Brink told NOS News the cabinet would amend existing laws through a memorandum of amendment — a route he said would yield faster results.
The crackdown targets asylum seekers with criminal records in the Netherlands. Those declared undesirable who refuse to leave the country could face imprisonment of up to one year. The measure is also set to extend to individuals arriving from outside Europe in the future.
"We do want to offer people asylum, but not if you commit a crime," Van den Brink said.
The policy would apply to offenses carrying a maximum sentence of two years, or to multiple lesser offenses that cumulatively reach that threshold.
In a parallel move, the cabinet intends to intensify controls along internal borders and grant the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee expanded authority to conduct more targeted checks on roads in border-adjacent areas. Van den Brink acknowledged that whether additional funding would be allocated to support these measures remains undecided.
"The standard will soon be very clear," he said, adding that "anyone who commits criminal offenses and returns to our country despite a declaration of undesirability will go to jail."
The broader criminalization of undocumented migrants, however, continues to be a politically contentious issue within the Netherlands, including among coalition partners D66 and CDA. A separate legislative proposal addressing what Van den Brink described as "return frustraters" — those who obstruct deportation proceedings — is expected to follow at a later date.
The cabinet is additionally preparing legislation to eliminate financial penalties currently levied against the Dutch Immigration and Naturalization Service when rulings on asylum applications are delayed.
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