- Netherlands Halts Financial Support for Denied Refugee Applicants
The newly established conservative administration in the Netherlands is halting its financial aid for accommodations denying asylum seekers. " Commencing January 1, 2025, the state subsidy for housing individuals who ought to have departed previously will be terminated," declared Asylum Minister Marjolein Faber.
Faber sought the opinions of the five main urban areas, offering temporary shelter under the so-called "shelter-bath-food" rule. "I advocate for repatriation, not for incentivized lodging," the minister from the right-wing Party for Freedom (PVV), led by Dutch far-right figurehead Geert Wilders, stated.
Since 2019, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Eindhoven, and Groningen have provided denied asylum seekers with essential living necessities to prevent them from becoming a hassle as vagrants. These metropolises now assume responsibility for the care of these refugees at their own expense. Amsterdam has confirmed it will shoulder this responsibility for at least the upcoming year.
According to the public broadcaster NOS, the Dutch government has shelled out around 30 million euros annually on housing for rejected asylum seekers. This fund was regarded as a temporary solution until the migrants' return to their native country, relocation to another nation, or the approval of a Netherlands' residency permit.
Parallelly, this week in Germany, Free Democratic Party (FDP) politico Joachim Stamp demanded the withdrawal of social welfare services for individuals slated for deportation. "Individuals who can be removed immediately should only receive a return flight ticket and a minimal monetary aid of a few hundred euros upon arrival into the destination country," former NRW Integration Minister Stamp, indicated to the German editorial network.
The new policy means that asylum seekers denied accommodation in The Hague will no longer receive financial aid from the Dutch government starting January 1, 2025. Given Amsterdam's commitment, it will continue shouldering the responsibility for these individuals for at least the next year.
