The Dutch government’s plans to revamp the asylum system are not even official yet, and they’re already being criticised by various parties — including immigration policy experts.
Following yesterday’s leak of the Dutch coalition’s newest asylum reforms, RTL Nieuws has talked to two experts — and neither of them is impressed with the government’s plans.
“Very stupid short-term politics”
According to migration history professor Leo Lucassen, the proposed plans are “very stupid short-term politics” which will only achieve the goals of dehumanising refugees, reinforcing negative sentiments about them, and complicating integration.
“The message is: we are going to make it as difficult as possible for you because you are people we do not want here,” he tells RTL Nieuws.
He’s not the only concerned expert: asylum lawyer Maartje Terpstra also expressed doubts about the reform’s soundness.
Between the two of them, the experts took issue with nearly every point in the coalition’s plan. 👇
Shortening residence permits
If the coalition’s plans become law, being granted asylum in the Netherlands will be much harder and, even then, the residence permit will only be valid for three years (instead of five).
For Lucassen, these measures will prove to be expensive mistakes.
When people expect to be deported from the country or only allowed temporarily, they can’t invest as much in building a life in the Netherlands, complicating their integration into Dutch society and economy.
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Terpstra, in turn, calls shortening the permits a “non-measure”.
As most unsafe countries owe their status to deep-rooted issues, forcing immigration services to re-evaluate the safety of each refugee’s home country every three years will do little more than increase the IND’s paperwork volume.
That is because, according to international law, as long as a country is considered unsafe, “you cannot send a status holder back.”
Declaring parts of Syria safe
Speaking of safety, the coalition’s measures include unilaterally declaring parts of Syria safe.
However, Terpstra points out that this decision is not up to the coalition — it is actually the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’s job, and it must be done through a thoroughly researched report.
Who’s stealing jobs now, huh? 🫣
Restricting family reunification
The coalition is also considering preventing (adult) children from joining their parents in the Netherlands.
Judging from past EU Court rulings, however, that won’t fly: “Newcomers have the right to family reunification,” says Terpstra.
Will the plans still turn into law?
Regardless of whether or not the cabinet will decide to take into account the concerns of immigration experts, the plans still have a long way to go before becoming effective.
For starters, they need the backing of the entire government coalition. So far, they’re just an informal compromise between the PVV and NSC.
READ MORE | The asylum crisis in the Netherlands: here’s the rundown
While BBB’s leader Caroline van der Plas seems open to the reforms, the VVD is yet to express itself.
Plus, even if the whole coalition comes to an agreement, the plans will still need to get past the Council of State, the House of Representatives, and the Senate.
Do you think the cabinet should listen to the asylum experts’ concerns? Let us know in the comments below.
I think if they didn’t listen to the experts, the kabinet will fall eventually.