The Initiation of the Dutch-Ugandan Plan is Underway
The Netherlands, following in the footsteps of countries like The Netherlands and Rwanda, is considering the expulsion of asylum seekers to a third nation. This move is primarily influenced by the conservative party of right-wing politician Geert Wilders, now shaping immigration policies and aiming for significant changes.
During her visit to Uganda, the Dutch Minister for Development Cooperation, Reinette Klever, announced shocking migration policy plans on public television. Rejected asylum seekers are set to reside in Uganda, with Klever promising them a piece of land to build a home. Initially, Klever's party, the Freedom Party PVV, espoused abolishing the Ministry of Development Cooperation, led by right-wing populist Geert Wilders. However, the PVV gained strength in parliament, entered government for the first time under Prime Minister Dick Schoof, and Klever assumed the ministry role.
Since Wilders' election victory, he has been guiding the Dutch government's direction. As the only PVV representative in parliament, he handpicks his ministers. Previously, Prime Minister Mark Rutte rejected collaborating with Wilders. Rutte has since become NATO Secretary-General, and the Liberals, led by party leader Dilan Yesilgoz (a Turkish refugee in the Netherlands), facilitated the coalition with the PVV.
Rising Population and Housing Scarcity
The governing coalition – led by former intelligence chief Dick Schoof – has identified migration as the principal challenge. Last year, 38,000 first-time asylum applications were made, a significantly lower number than Germany, which received approximately 330,000 applications for a population five times larger. Nonetheless, immigration issues transcend the refugee population.
With an 18-million-strong population now resident in the country, the Dutch population is rapidly growing. This is particularly evident in urban areas like Amsterdam, where even average wage earners struggle to find accommodations. They face fierce competition from highly skilled foreign workers, who large corporations pay substantial rents for monthly – sometimes several thousands of euros.
Migrant workers themselves also compete for scarce housing. In recent years, Polish and Eastern European workers have been employed in construction and greenhouse operations. The absence of their labor would negatively impact factories, hospitals, and care homes in the Netherlands. Yet, Wilders has long exploited anti-Polish sentiments and even established a "reporting center" for those who lost their jobs to Eastern Europeans.
Foreign Students and Migration Struggles
Another problem for the Hague administration is the 300,000 foreign students, particularly those from Germany, who enjoy the English-language programs and contribute significantly to tuition fees. However, they also exacerbate the limited housing issue. The agreement stipulates an upper restriction on foreign students.
Additionally, Minister-President Schoof plans to strengthen border controls to counteract irregular migration, surpassing the German traffic light coalition's measures. Schoof, like Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, also seeks to exit the EU asylum system. Recently, Schoof sought an 'opt-out' exception in Brussels.
The extent of Schoof's autonomous decision-making and Wilders' actual influence remains contentious. It was Wilders who suggested Schoof's name during coalition negotiations. In the first parliamentary debate in July, however, Schoof failed to refute Wilders' accusations that racists were in the cabinet, leading Wilders to publicly portray Schoof as weak.
Radicalization and Deportation Plans
Wilders and his ministers have continually fueled public debate on migration, like Asylum Minister Marjolein Faber, who of the PVV, advocates "deportation posters" on asylum homes, despite the fact that such posters do not exist in Denmark.
The Uganda proposal is more of a provocation than a genuine plan. Schoof described the expulsion of rejected asylum seekers to Uganda as an "innovative solution," but was taken aback by Klever's initiative. Schoof is not alone in this; Uganda's Foreign Minister has stated that he had not spoken to Minister Klever about the plan. When asked by news agency AFP, a spokesperson for Klever referred to the idea being in an early stage.
The parallels to the UK's failed Rwanda plan and the Italian refugee camp in Albania are apparent. Uganda's suitability for such a project is highly questionable: Over two million refugees from war-torn Sudan and Congo have already sought refuge in pro-Russian dictator President Yoweri Museveni's Uganda. Homosexuals face persecution and the death penalty in Uganda. Dutch experts consider the deportation of rejected asylum seekers to Uganda as a violation of European law.
Klever's actions align with her previous career: Prior to her term, she worked for the ultra-right-wing, state-funded ON channel, which propagates conspiracy theories about Corona and Ukraine. During a parliamentary hearing, Clever refused to distance herself from the "replacement" conspiracy theory, claiming that an elite secretly replaces the native population with migrants. Before assuming office, Klever promoted the same narratives.
Emergency Laws and Migration Controls
Now, Wilders pushes for the government to enforce strict migration policies using emergency legislation, mimicking Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's approach – initially bypassing the parliament. As of now, the coalition government is yet to take this step, with Dutch constitutional lawyers cautioning against such measures. Despite being the most experienced parliamentary leader and heading the largest faction, Wilders has yet to find a stable strategy to limit migration through the government.
For many years, Wilders has been a significant figure in Dutch political landscape. Despite his far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) never sharing power, he has been known to present cabinet proposals through social media, following the footsteps of his American counterpart, Donald Trump. More recently, he directly urged Amsterdam's mayor, Femke Halsema, to step down, due to pro-Palestinian protests happening within the city. He labelled the demonstrators as "filth". Consistency has been a characteristic of Wilders, who in the past called journalists "filth" and criticized the judiciary as "fake" and the parliament as "fake".
Following the Dutch government's consideration of expelling asylum seekers to a third nation, the Dutch Minister for Development Cooperation, Reinette Klever, announced a shocking migration policy plan to reside rejected asylum seekers in Uganda, offering them land to build homes.
The rising population and housing scarcity in the Netherlands have made immigration issues a principal challenge for the governing coalition. With an 18-million-strong population, urban areas like Amsterdam are experiencing fierce competition for accommodations among average wage earners, highly skilled foreign workers, and migrant workers.
