The German police are getting rid of migrants in the Dutch border cities; and the Netherlands is expanding border control.
In the past three months, the German police left more than 150 people in Dutch border towns without any coordination with Dutch authorities, according to the newspaper De Gelderlander. The Dutch Ministry of Asylum and Migration confirmed that these cases, described as "cold transfers," are the result of "bilateral agreements" between Germany and the Netherlands, and are not related to the recently announced extension of border controls.
The case began to unfold after a video surfaced earlier this year showing people being forced to get out of a German police truck in Venlo during the midnight hours. Following an investigation, the newspaper found that the German police abandoned 63 people in the Netherlands alone in October after stopping them at border checkpoints, bringing the total number to 158 people in just three months.
In the Dutch town of 's-Heerenberg, near the German A3 highway, residents reported noticing an increase in the number of strangers wandering the streets at unusual times. Some said that unknown individuals had asked to use their phones or connect to the Wi-Fi network, raising widespread concerns about local safety and security.
According to the Ministry of Asylum and Migration, "cold transfer" and "warm transfer" — whether individuals are officially handed over to the authorities or not — have been happening for years. The ministry clarified that between December 2024 and September 2025, 690 foreigners were transferred from Germany to the Netherlands, compared to 490 people that the Netherlands returned to Germany, as part of the existing bilateral cooperation on border management.
At the same time, Dutch Minister of Asylum and Migration David van Weel announced that border controls with Germany and Belgium will remain in place until June 8, 2026. He explained in a message to Parliament that these measures are necessary to maintain public order and protect the asylum system from further pressure. He noted that between December 2024 and September 2025, 470 people were denied entry at the land border with Germany and Belgium, and 230 people were arrested on various charges.
For her part, the Mayor of Montferland, Anne-Marie Fellinger, criticized these practices and described them as concerning, stating that it is unacceptable to "dispose of people" across borders. She emphasized that every person, regardless of their status or origin, should be treated with dignity and safety. She added: "What is called cold transfers raises serious questions about the safety of the individuals involved and their fate afterward."