Crucial vote in parliament regarding refugees next week
The Dutch parliament is preparing to vote next week on two controversial laws proposed by the right-wing government aimed at reducing the number of asylum seekers. Despite the heated discussions that lasted 15 hours on Thursday, it is still unclear whether these laws will receive enough support for approval.
The passage of the laws primarily depends on the position of the far-right PVV party and the Christian Democratic CDA. The CDA party has confirmed that it will not vote in favor of these laws unless significant changes are made, while the PVV party, which recently withdrew from the government, announced its rejection of any amendments to the proposals of the Minister of Immigration, Margherita Faber, describing them as "the harshest asylum policy ever."
The first law stipulates the cancellation of permanent residence permits for refugees, reducing the initial residence permit duration from five to three years, and preventing family reunification until the refugee has lived for two years in the Netherlands and secured housing and income. The second law allows for discrimination between those who fled due to race, sexual orientation, or religion, and those who escaped from war or natural disasters.
The Council of State and several organizations have criticized these laws, considering them hasty and lacking planning. The CDA party emphasized the need for the implementation of the new dual system to coincide with the start of the European migration agreement in June of next year, and called for a transitional period to allow sufficient time to prepare the systems and human resources. For its part, the IND immigration agency confirmed its support for postponing the implementation of the laws until the European agreement is launched, warning that starting with local laws first would overwhelm its employees who are already suffering from work pressure.
Housing Minister Mona Kaiser and Justice Minister David van Vijl, who temporarily took over the asylum files following the government's collapse, informed Parliament of their intention not to make substantial amendments to the proposed legislation. The MPs submitted about 50 amendments to the proposed texts. The ministers clarified that the legislation regarding a fairer distribution of refugees among municipalities will not be revoked immediately, and there is no intention to criminalize illegal residency in the country. The amendments will be voted on Tuesday, and the two bills in full on Thursday.