The Netherlands announced on Wednesday (September 18) that it had asked the European Commission for a waiver from EU asylum rules, days after the ruling coalition unveiled the country's toughest ever immigration measures. “We must once again take care of our own asylum policy!”launched on X Marjolein Faber, Minister of Asylum and Migration, of the Party for Freedom (or PVV, for Party for Freedomin Dutch), extreme right.
The Dutch government, sworn in in July, has been promising to launch this procedure for several months. But Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders himself said in May that obtaining a possible exemption could take “years”Experts have also expressed reservations.
An exemption “can only be achieved by modifying” fundamental European provisions, said the Dutch Advisory Council on Migration, recalling that all 27 EU member states must accept this decision. “The number of asylum seekers must then be distributed among a smaller number of other Member States”wrote Council members Mark Klaassen and Laura Kok on its website. “Not all member states will be enthusiastic about this”.
“Asylum Crisis”
Denmark has negotiated a deal to exclude the country from the EU's common asylum policies.
The Dutch request comes days after Prime Minister Dick Schoof unveiled tough immigration measures, due to what he called “asylum crisis”.
Cracks have already appeared in a fragile coalition, which includes the PVV, the pro-farmer BBB party, the right-wing liberal VVD party and the anti-corruption NSC.
NSC acting parliamentary leader Nicolien van Vroonhoven said on Monday that her party would only vote for tough immigration measures if the State Council's advisory body gave its approval.
The statement angered Mr Wilders, the surprise winner of the November 2023 election, who gave up his ambitions to become prime minister after at least one coalition party threatened to walk out of talks.
Source: Lemonde
