The Hague seeks separation from the EU's asylum framework.
By December 2023, Europe witnessed an EU-wide asylum system reform agreement, which the Netherlands participated in. However, the newly instated right-wing administration finds this reform insufficient and yearns to take charge of its asylum policies once more. As a result, The Hague has requested an exemption from the EU-wide regulations.
Minister of Migration Marjolein Faber shared this announcement on an online platform X, proclaiming, "We need to regain control over our asylum policies." The governing party, which has been in power since July and is headed by the nationalist PVV party of Geert Wilders, is a right-wing populist, is also aiming to declare a national asylum emergency. This would grant them the authority to conduct checks without the Parliament's approval, Faber also being a member of the PVV.
This approach breaks away from the traditional EU principle, where governments respect the decisions of their predecessors. Even prior to this change, the Netherlands, under a different administration, signed off on the EU-wide asylum system transformation in December 2023. Given this, the EU Commission and other EU partners might view the Dutch government's intentions with skepticism, as most national opt-outs from collective decisions could pose a risk to EU stability. Denmark, a case in point, has opted out from certain departments, including justice and home affairs, in its EU participation; however, these decisions were hammered out during its EU entry process.
EU data reveals that in 2022, the Netherlands registered two first-time asylum requests for every 1,000 inhabitants, closely matching the EU average. Ten EU member states surpass this percentage. After repeatedly trimming down its budget, the only asylum seeker registration center in the Netherlands is overburdened, forcing numerous individuals to sleep outdoors.
The Dutch government, headed by the nationalist PVV party, has requested an exemption from the EU-wide asylum regulations to reassert control over its policies in The Hague. This request, if granted, could lead to a national asylum emergency, allowing the administration to conduct checks without Parliament's approval.
