European Border Control: Netherlands Could Be Next

The Binnenhof in Den Haag, where the lower and upper houses of the States General meet (Photo: Nikolai Karaneschev / Wikimedia Commons)

The Netherlands may be the next member state of the European Union to introduce border controls. The Dutch border to Belgium and Germany might come under strict scrutiny in order to deal with the migration situation.

Following eight hours of negotiations on Thursday night, the Netherlands’ four-party ruling coalition has finalized plans to reduce the number of refugees entering the country.

According to a Dutch News report, the Netherlands has decided not to declare a refugee crisis but instead intends to implement stricter measures to curb the number of asylum seekers and address the migration issue.

Among the actions are border controls and a reduction in the duration of refugee residency permits from five to three years.

Later on Friday, the plans will be made public after first being discussed in the cabinet. According to leaks earlier this week, they include lowering refugee residency permits to three years, implementing more border checks, and announcing that areas of Syria are safe.

First, the plans were hammered out between Nicolien van Vroonhoven, the acting leader of the NSC party, and Geert Wilders, the leader of the PVV party, who had wanted to bypass parliament and invoke emergency legislation. Dilan Yesilgöz, the leader of the VVD party, and Caroline van der Plas, a member of the BBB party, participated in the discussions Thursday.

Both refused to comment on whether the plan that was leaked earlier in the week had changed.However, according to Dutch news agency NOS, its sources indicate that the VVD was particularly concerned about the decision to revoke the law that ensures refugees are distributed equitably throughout the nation. The decision to remove the council’s mandate to find housing for refugees with residency permits also raised concerns for the party.

The Dutch government has so far rarely notified the EU about the implementation of border controls, not even during the COVID-19 crisis.

Only once, at the Nuclear Security Summit in 2014, did the nation in Northwestern Europe introduce such a measure.

On Friday afternoon, Prime Minister Dick Schoof will present the plans, which have already drawn criticism from local officials and refugee organizations.

The plans, according to critics, won’t significantly lower the number of refugees entering the Netherlands. However, by making it more difficult to integrate into Dutch society, they will worsen the situation for refugees who are already residing in the Netherlands.

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