The Netherlands want to declare a state of emergency to Entry of asylum seekers The radical right-wing asylum minister Marjolein Faber announced in The Hague that he would declare a crisis and repeal parts of the asylum law “very quickly”. Details of the plan were to be announced this afternoon when the government program was presented.
For years, the Netherlands has had problems with accommodating asylum seekers, even though the number of new arrivals is fairly stable. Around 40,000 asylum seekers come to the Netherlands every year.
Royal Decree
The government can use a royal decree to declare a state of emergency in the event of a crisis and then take measures without the prior approval of Parliament. This happened, for example, during the Corona pandemic. However, such a decree must be legally justified.
The opposition reacted indignantly and called it an undemocratic step. Lawyers and experts doubt the legality of the emergency measures, as there has not been an unexpectedly high influx of asylum seekers. The current accommodation crisis is a result of austerity measures.
Reducing the number of asylum seekers and migrants is a main goal of the new coalition, which for the first time also includes the radical right-wing Party for Freedom (PVV) of the right-wing populist Geert Wilders The four-party coalition with the non-party Prime Minister Dick Schoof at the top has been in office for two months.