Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch far-right Party for Freedom (PVV), unveiled a 10-point proposal on Monday to drastically reduce migration, putting pressure on his four-party coalition to toughen migration policy or risk a cabinet crisis, Euronews reports.
“We’ve done enough concessions,” Wilders said at a news conference outlining his 10-point plan on Monday, adding that if “nothing or not enough happens, we’re out.”
For months the shaky governing coalition between Wilders‘ Freedom Party (PVV), the conservative-liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), the centrist New Social Contract (NSC) and the agrarian, populist Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB) have bickered over legislation that aims to reduce the number of asylum claims in the country.
“The gloves are off,” Wilders said during a press conference announcing the plan, adding that if migration policy is not toughened, his party “is out of the cabinet.”
The proposal calls for an end to all asylum applications, a temporary halt to family reunions for asylum seekers granted refugee status, and the return of all Syrians who have filed for asylum or are in the Netherlands on temporary visas.
Wilders also wants to dismantle asylum facilities and remove visa holders in order to make more space, rather than building new ones, as opposition parties and campaigners have advocated to prevent overpopulation and cruel conditions for asylum seekers in need of protection.
People with dual nationality who have been convicted of violent or sexual offenses should have their Dutch citizenship removed and be deported, he said, and the army should be sent to patrol land borders.
A Political Career Based on Migration
Wilders’ political career has been built on advocating for hardline policies against Islam and migration in the Netherlands. Long in opposition, his party now wields considerable clout as a coalition member, and he says his patience has run out after months of negotiations and no action from the government to curb migration.
His PVV won the 2023 national election, but he was unable to obtain the job of prime minister due to opposition from other major political groups.
Wilders advocates for opting out of EU asylum frameworks, but this is not formally possible under EU treaties. His demands may violate international law, such as the Geneva Convention on Refugees and European human rights law.
A Regular Threat from Wilders
Wilders has already threatened to cause a political crisis in the Netherlands if other parties fail to comply with immigration legislation.
Earlier the draft law was criticized by the Dutch Council of State, who raised issues about its legal viability and concluded the legislation was “sloppily drafted”. The country’s highest advisory body said the measures were unlikely to lead to a reduction in asylum applications and warned they could instead place further burdens on immigration authorities and courts.
Wilders stated that some of the restrictions have already been implemented by other European countries, particularly nearby Germany. Others will need the Netherlands withdrawing from European accords. Before submitting the measures to parliament for approval, Dutch coalition ministers must find an agreement on them. That would entail renegotiating the policy agreement that allowed for the formation of the four-party administration.
The Dutch Council of State rejected a draft law presented by PVV Minister of Asylum and Migration Marjolein Faber, citing concerns about its legality and concluding that the legislation was “sloppily draughted.”
In October of last year, he attempted to declare a nationwide state of emergency in order to implement tighter asylum policies without parliamentary permission. The four governing parties eventually agreed on a new set of provisions that restrict asylum seekers’ right to appeal in court proceedings and limit the duration of their status to three years.