Schoof cabinet asylum measures

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When the Schoof cabinet was formed in 2024, it agreed to declare an asylum crisis in the Netherlands. An agreement was struck between coalition parties in October 2024 to implement several asylum measures through the legislative process.

Contents

Background

Annual asylum statistics [1]
YearFirst-time asylum applications and family reunifications
2013
13,470
2014
27,165
2015
56,940
2016
31,185
2017
30,635
2018
26,975
2019
26,720
2020
17,585
2021
34,860
2022
46,460
2023
48,500

In 2023 – the year before the Schoof cabinet was sworn in – around 330,000 migrants entered the Netherlands, including 38,000 first-time asylum applicants and family reunification migrants. Refugees from Ukraine, fleeing the Russian invasion, did not have to apply for asylum and totaled 110,000. [1] [2] The Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis concluded that asylum migration did not show a clear trend and was volatile; yearly totals have depended on particular conflicts. [3] The number of first-time asylum applications in the first half of 2024 exceeded those from the same period the previous year, but fell below the previous year's levels in the third quarter. [4]

Proposed asylum crisis

The coalition agreement of the right-wing Schoof cabinet, struck by the PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB in May 2024, included plans to issue a "well-substantiated" statutory instrument to suspend certain provisions of the Aliens Act and to introduce an Asylum Crisis Act without delay. It was agreed that no new asylum applications would be processed and that the Dispersal Act would be revoked. [5] [6] [7] The coalition parties called their migration policy the most stringent and extensive in history. [8] In response to questions by MEP Sophie in 't Veld, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson wrote that a reasoned request would have to be submitted in order to proclaim an asylum crisis, showing that the system has become non-functional despite preparations. [9] In late August 2024, Minister of Asylum and Migration Marjolein Faber said that the Netherlands was experiencing an asylum crisis when discussing the closure of an application center for Ukrainian refugees due to overcrowding. She clarified that her comments did not constitute an official declaration of an asylum crisis and that a bill would be finalized around Prinsjesdag , in mid-September. Prime Minister Dick Schoof remarked that more time would be required. [5] [10]

The governing agreement of the Schoof cabinet, presented on 13 September, reiterated that an asylum crisis would be declared by royal decree, bypassing initial parliamentary approval. [11] Schoof stated that citizens were experiencing an asylum crisis but admitted he was unable to specify conditions or a timeline for its resolution. [12] Opposition parties questioned the legal viability of invoking emergency powers, and they criticized the lack of parliamentary consultation. [13] Nicolien van Vroonhoven (NSC) noted that her party's support was contingent on a positive advice of the Council of State. [14] Her party joined the opposition in demanding the release of official documents related to the planned use of emergency measures during the annual General Political Debate following Prinsjesdag, referring to the parliament's right to information under Article 68 of the Constitution of the Netherlands. [15] Documents of the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations showed that civil servants had advised against using emergency legislation, contending that the situation was unlikely to meet the threshold for exceptional circumstances. [16] Faber insisted that she believed a crisis could still be declared. [17] The VVD and NSC later called on the cabinet to prepare an expedited law in parallel, while Geert Wilders stressed that the cabinet would be in trouble if no emergency law would be enacted. [18] [19]

Opposition parties held a majority in the Senate, which would have to approve continuation of an emergency. On 9 October 2024, during the Senate's General Political Debate, a motion was carried declaring the use of emergency powers undesirable and urging the cabinet to propose an alternative approach. [20] A report by the Netherlands Bar  [ nl ] concluded the following day that "the government could not claim to have a fully-fledged rule of law" if it were to abuse emergency powers. [21]

October 2024 agreement

Schoof facilitated negotiations between the coalition parties in October 2024 to resolve their disagreements, initially inviting only the PVV and NSC. [22] The coalition came to an agreement on 25 October, and it was adopted by the cabinet the same day. The proposed use of emergency powers was abandoned, and new legislation would be introduced to enact asylum measures, most of which were outlined in the coalition agreement, along with some additional provisions. [23] [24] [25]

The asylum application procedure would be tightened through eliminating permanent residence permits, reducing the validity of five-year permits to three years, making adult children and unmarried partners ineligible for family reunification, broadening the possibilities for pronouncing convicts undesirable, and abolishing judicial penalties for the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) in case procedures exceed the statutory time limit. Certain regions of Syria, responsible for the largest number of asylum seekers due to its civil war, would be declared safe. The Netherlands would reduce its commitment to take on UNHCR refugees for resettlement from 500 to 200. Furthermore, the Dispersal Act would be repealed, and border checks would start in late November with other countries of the Schengen Area. 50 to 100 additional prison cells would be allocated to hold rejected asylum seekers, and municipalities would no longer be required to house refugees whose asylum has been granted. Instead, basic housing provisions would be established. [23] [26] [27]

The cabinet invoked an article of the Schengen Agreement to ramp up border checks for human trafficking and illegal migration for the duration of six months, starting on 9 December 2024, citing a high influx of asylum seekers. [28] [29] In a letter to Faber, 46 border municipalities expressed their concerns about the measure's effect on commutes. [30]

Parliamentary responses by Faber revealed the existence of a draft note on the proposed asylum crisis by the state advocate, despite earlier statements by Schoof and Faber that no documents existed. Laurens Dassen (Volt) called for the draft note's release, and the House of Representatives adopted the request in November 2024 with NSC's support. [31] [32]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Asielverzoeken en nareizigers; nationaliteit, geslacht en leeftijd" [Asylum applications and family reunifications; nationality, sex, and age]. StatLine (in Dutch). Statistics Netherlands. 30 September 2024. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  2. ↑ "Staat van Migratie 2024: In 2023 stappen gezet naar grip op migratie" [2024 State of Migration: Steps made in 2023 towards manageable migration]. Government of the Netherlands (Press release). 14 June 2024.
  3. ↑ Mol, Jennifer (24 October 2024). "Instroomcijfers laten geen asielcrisis zien, zeggen deskundigen" [Influx totals do not show an asylum crisis, according to experts]. Het Financieele Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  4. ↑ Van der Veen, Casper; Van de Ven, Liam (29 October 2024). "Aantal eerste asielverzoeken met kwart gedaald, blijkt nét na kabinetscrisis over asielmaatregelen" [Number of first-time asylum applications fell by a quarter, just after cabinet crisis about asylum measures]. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  5. 1 2 Van Buuren, Yara; Kieskamp, Wilma (22 August 2024). "PVV-minister Faber zegt 'asielcrisis' en meteen is er verwarring" [PVV minister Faber says 'asylum crisis' and confusion ensues]. Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  6. ↑ Meijer, Remco (26 August 2024). "Hij komt er, de asielcrisiswet, maar hoe en wanneer blijft de vraag" [The Asylum Crisis Act will come, but it remains unclear when and how]. de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  7. ↑ Meijer, Remco (26 August 2024). "Hij komt er, de asielcrisiswet, maar hoe en wanneer blijft de vraag" [The Asylum Crisis Act will arrive, but how and when remains to be seen]. de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  8. ↑ Meijer, Remco (2 July 2024). "De machtsoverdracht op Justitie: 'Wij houden van de oude bewindslieden en zoeken een nieuwe relatie'" [The transfer of power at Justice: 'We like the old government members and are looking for a new relationship']. de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  9. ↑ "Europese Commissie: asielcrisis uitroepen kan niet zomaar" [European Commission: Proclaiming an asylum crisis is not allowed without proper cause]. NOS (in Dutch). 10 July 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  10. ↑ "Faber: rond Prinsjesdag voorstellen over uitroepen asielcrisis" [Faber: Proposals to declare asylum crisis around Prinsjesdag]. NOS (in Dutch). 21 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  11. ↑ "Kabinet ambitieus over asiel en bouwen, maar stuit bij mest op grenzen" [Cabinet ambitious on asylum and construction, but is constrained on manure]. NOS (in Dutch). 13 September 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  12. ↑ Oost, Georgia (13 September 2024). "Mensen ervaren een asielcrisis, zegt Schoof, maar wanneer die crisis voorbij is? Dat kan hij niet zeggen" [People are experiencing an asylum crisis, according to Schoof, but when will this crisis be over? He could not say]. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  13. ↑ Van der Sterren, Luuk (12 September 2024). "Minister Faber wil Tweede Kamer 'buitenspel' zetten en asielcrisis uitroepen, oppositie verbolgen" [Minister Faber wants to 'bypass' House of Representatives and declare an asylum crisis, opposition enraged]. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  14. ↑ "Van Vroonhoven (NSC) irriteert coalitiegenoten met uitspraak asielplannen" [Van Vroonhoven (NSC) angers coalition parties with comments on asylum plans]. NOS (in Dutch). 16 September 2024. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  15. ↑ Pelgrim, Christiaan (19 September 2024). "Kamer eist ambtelijke stukken, na weigering kabinet" [House demands official documents, following refusal by the cabinet]. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  16. ↑ "Kamer in de ban van ambtelijk advies over noodwet voor asiel" [House gripped by official advise about emergency asylum law]. NOS (in Dutch). 19 September 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  17. ↑ "Asielminister Faber denkt noodrecht te kunnen doorzetten" [Asylum minister Faber believes she can continue emergency legislation]. NOS (in Dutch). 20 September 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  18. ↑ "Wilders voert druk over asielnoodwet op" [Wilders increases pressure over asylum emergency act]. Het Financieele Dagblad (in Dutch). 1 October 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  19. ↑ Van Eijsden, Auke (3 October 2024). "Coalitie nadert frontale botsing over asiel. Maar wie heeft er zin in een kabinetsval?" [Coalition is heading towards a full-blown clash over asylum. But who wants the cabinet to collapse?]. Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  20. ↑ "Eerste Kamer keert zich tegen asielnoodwet: 'Onwenselijk'" [Senate turns against emergency asylum law: 'Undesirable']. de Volkskrant (in Dutch). 9 October 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  21. ↑ Al Ali, Wafa (10 October 2024). "Asielplannen van het kabinet zakken door de rechtsstatelijke ondergrens, zien advocaten. 'Dat rechters dit dan moeten repareren, is zorgelijk'" [The cabinet's asylum plans are crossing constitutional lower limit, according to lawyers. 'The fact that judges would have to fix it, is worrying']. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  22. ↑ Sie, Puck; Wolzak, Martine; De Horde, Cor (22 October 2024). "Voltallige coalitie onderhandelt over asiel met deadline in zicht" [Full coalition negotiates on asylum with deadline in sight]. Het Financieele Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  23. 1 2 "Kabinet wil zo snel mogelijk asielwet, 'opvang moet tijdelijk zijn'" [Cabinet wants asylum law as soon as possible, 'sheltering should be temporary']. NOS (in Dutch). 25 October 2024. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  24. ↑ Van Eijsden, Auke (23 October 2024). "Geert Wilders was standvastig en dreigde met een kabinetscrisis. Nu buigt hij toch het hoofd" [Geert Wilders was persistent and threatened with a cabinet crisis. He now bows his head after all]. Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  25. ↑ Van den Dool, Pim (25 October 2024). "Kabinet scherpt asielbeleid verder aan met 'noodmaatregelenwet'" [Cabinet sharpens asylum policy further with 'emergency measures bill']. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  26. ↑ Jonker, Jorn; Dietvorst, Guus (23 October 2024). "Asieldeal PVV en NSC uitgelekt: geen noodrecht, wel vergaande maatregelen" [Asylum deal PVV and NSC leaked: No emergency law, but far-reaching measures]. NOS (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  27. ↑ Meijer, Remco; Van de Water, Marjolein; Van den Berg, Jurre (24 October 2024). "Geen noodrecht, maar een pakket 'asielnoodmaatregelen', wat valt daarvan te verwachten?" [No emergency powers, but a set of 'asylum emergency measures', what can be expected?]. de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  28. ↑ "Strengere grenscontroles in Nederland vanaf 9 december" [Stricter border checks in the Netherlands starting 9 December]. Het Financieele Dagblad (in Dutch). 11 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  29. ↑ "Kabinet: vanaf 9 december extra grenscontroles tegen migratie" [Cabinet: Addition border controls against migration starting 9 December]. NOS (in Dutch). 11 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  30. ↑ De Groot, Joep (26 November 2024). "Tientallen grensgemeenten uiten zorgen over grenscontroles in brief aan minister Faber" [Tens of border municipalities express concerns about border checked in letter to Minister Faber]. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  31. ↑ Van Heerde, Johan (22 November 2024). "Kabinet ontkende het bestaan van 'asielcrisis'-notitie, maar deze blijkt er wél te zijn" [Cabinet denied existence of 'asylum crisis' note, but it turns out that it does exist]. Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  32. ↑ Keultjes, Hanneke; Den Hartog, Tobias (26 November 2024). "Coalitie ruziet wéér over asielnoodrecht, nu over 'verzwegen' conceptstuk landsadvocaat" [Coalition fights yet again about emergency powers for asylum, now about 'concealed' draft note by the state advocate]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 28 November 2024.
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