MADRID/BRUSSELS, 13 Sep. () –
The Dutch government announced on Friday a tightening of its immigration policy, which includes, among other things, the declaration of an emergency in the area of asylum and the temporary suspension of the Immigration Act, with a view to freezing applications being processed and deporting anyone who does not have a residence permit.
Immigration was already one of the main topics of debate in the campaign ahead of the November 2023 elections, in which the far-right Freedom Party led by Geert Wilders won the most votes. The party is now a key part of the coalition headed by Prime Minister Dick Schoof.
Asylum and Migration Minister Marjolein Faber, a colleague of Wilders, has said that “the Netherlands cannot cope with such a high number of migrants,” Bloomberg reports. Authorities estimate that around 40,000 asylum seekers arrive in the country every year.
The government’s plan also includes tightening the requirements for family reunification of refugees, so that it is conditional on a status of at least two years’ standing and proof of “stable and sufficient” income, according to NOS.
Faber has warned that anyone who “abuses Dutch hospitality” will be prosecuted and has made no secret of the fact that the aim is to make the Netherlands no longer an “attractive” country for emigrants.
The Government has also announced that “as soon as possible” it will formally submit to the European Commission a request for the country to be exempt from complying with the common migration policy, although European sources consulted by Europa Press have recalled that the current framework is fully applicable to the Netherlands.
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