Why the Netherlands Wants to Opt Out of the EU’s Migration Pact

Summary

The Dutch government's new immigration policy, branded as Europe's strictest, aims to freeze asylum applications and deport more individuals. They plan to opt out of the EU's migration pact and create a 'mini Schengen' zone with like-minded countries. The policy includes six main points: activating exemptions from the Foreigners Act, introducing an asylum crisis act, opting out of the EU pact, comprehensive asylum reform, changes for Ukrainian asylum seekers, and stricter naturalization requirements. The video discusses the potential effectiveness and political motivations behind these reforms.

Takeaways

• 🇳🇱 The Dutch coalition government is pursuing some of the strictest immigration reforms in Europe.
• 📜 They published a manifesto in May with controversial immigration policies, including freezing asylum applications and deporting more people.
• 🔄 An updated government program confirms the Netherlands' intention to opt out of the EU's new migration pact.
• 🏢 The government aims to build a 'mini Schengen' zone with like-minded countries, similar to a 2015 proposal.
• 👥 The governing coalition consists of four right-wing parties, with the Freedom Party (PVV) advocating for the strictest asylum policies.
• 📊 Immigration was a major issue in the last national election, with the PVV winning a significant share of the vote.
• 🛑 The proposed policies include activating the exemptions clause from the Foreigners Act 2000, which would allow the government to take extraordinary measures without parliamentary approval.
• 🚫 They plan to introduce a new Asylum Crisis Act to freeze decisions on asylum applications and increase deportations.
• 🇪🇺 Opting out of the EU's new pact on asylum and migration is unlikely to be approved, as it would undermine the entire project.
• 🏡 Asylum reforms include comprehensive structural changes to reduce entries and increase deportations, with stricter requirements for naturalization.
• 🔄 The government is also tightening support for Ukrainian asylum seekers and raising language requirements for naturalization.

Q & A

What was the most controversial policy area in the Dutch coalition government's initial manifesto?

The most controversial policy area was immigration, with pledges to freeze asylum applications, limit immigration rights, and deport more people.

What is the Netherlands' stance on the EU's new migration pact?

The Netherlands wants to opt out of the EU's new migration pact and build a 'mini Schengen' zone with likeminded countries.

Which four right-wing parties make up the Netherlands' governing coalition?

The governing coalition is composed of the center-right People's Party (VVD), the New Social Contract Party (NSC), the populist agrarian Farmers and Citizens Movement, and the Freedom Party (PVV).

How did the Freedom Party (PVV) perform in the last national election?

The PVV, led by Thierry Baudet, won a quarter of the vote share and 37 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives, unseating the center-right VVD as the largest party in the Netherlands for the first time since 2010.

What does the Dutch government's new policy aim to achieve in terms of asylum?

The new policy aims to establish the strictest asylum regime ever, making it more difficult for asylum seekers to enter the Netherlands legally and increasing the rate of deportations.

What is the first main point of the Dutch government's new migration reforms?

The first point is activating the exemptions clause from the Foreigners Act 2000, which would allow the government to establish rules for extenuating circumstances, making it easier to revoke asylum permits and deport more people.

What is the purpose of the new Asylum Crisis Act proposed by the Dutch government?

The purpose of the new Asylum Crisis Act is to introduce extra powers to freeze all decisions on asylum applications and to deport as many people as possible, including by force if necessary.

Why does the Netherlands want to opt out of the EU's new pact on asylum and migration?

The Netherlands presumably objects to the 'solidarity mechanism' in the EU's new pact, which obliges member states to take in asylum seekers from countries that receive a disproportionate number, potentially leading to the redistribution of asylum seekers from frontier countries like Italy to the Netherlands.

What is the 'mini Schengen' that the Netherlands wants to build?

The 'mini Schengen' refers to a proposed cooperation zone with like-minded and surrounding countries, similar to the Schengen Area, which allows for passport-free travel among its members.

What are the implications of the Dutch government's plan to tighten naturalization requirements for Dutch citizenship?

The implications include doubling the waiting period to 10 years, expecting naturalized citizens to renounce their original nationality, raising the language requirement to B1 intermediate, and pushing for migrants to become productive on the labor market as quickly as possible.

How does the script suggest that some of the Dutch government's proposals might be perceived?

Some of the proposals might be seen as electioneering rather than serious policy proposals, aimed at burnishing the government's anti-immigration and euroskeptic credentials with their base.