The Dutch government, led by Prime Minister Dick Schoof, has announced plans to request an opt-out from the European Union’s asylum and migration regulations, marking an unprecedented move by a founding EU member. In response to mounting asylum applicants, the Dutch government wants to establish the “strictest asylum regime ever.”
Since it would require major EU legislative changes and member state agreement, the opt-out request is symbolic and unlikely to succeed. Such an exemption would certainly transfer asylum applicants to neighboring countries, straining the EU’s migration system. Due to refugee concerns, several member states, especially those bordering the Netherlands, are anticipated to oppose this idea.
The Dutch government is forging forward despite these obstacles, citing an inability to handle rising refugee numbers. Netherlands accepted 48,500 asylum applicants in 2023, mostly from Syria, Turkey, Yemen, Somalia, and Eritrea.
This new asylum policy is part of the coalition government’s far-right and nationalist agenda. The proposal pledges emergency legislation to freeze asylum applications, expel unauthorized migrants, and encourage asylum seekers to return to “safe.” To improve border security and control migratory flows, the government plans to construct a “mini Schengen” area with other states.
Despite supporting the EU’s New Pact on Migration and Asylum earlier in 2023, which offers countries options to manage asylum seekers, including financial contributions, the Netherlands has requested an opt-out due to domestic political pressures.
For the EU’s migration system to work, member states must act together, and the European Commission has made it plain that no one may opt out of existing laws. It is unclear how other EU nations and institutions will react to rising refugee and migration tensions as the Netherlands does.
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