Minister Faber tries to declare "asylum crisis" to introduce strict asylum rules

Asylum and Migration Minister Marjolein Faber wants to declare an "asylum crisis" in the Netherlands, reports the NOSPrinsjesdag (Tuesday, 17 September). Declaring an asylum crisis means that the government officially recognises that there is an emergency situation, allowing very strict rules on asylum to be introduced.

If an asylum crisis is declared, existing laws may be temporarily changed or special emergency laws introduced. This could mean fewer asylum applications being processed, longer waiting times, or making family reunification more difficult.

The government must follow legal steps before a crisis can actually be declared. The Senate and the House of Representatives must give permission. And the European Commission must also give permission. The commission has already warned the Dutch government that it must abide by international treaties, such as the right to asylum and family reunification. If the Netherlands does not follow these rules, the European Commission can punish or force the Netherlands to comply.

European Commissioner Ylva Johansson also indicated, according to NIS, that the Dutch government must first conduct a comprehensive investigation. The Netherlands should not just declare a crisis. In that investigation, the government must show that it did its best to receive refugees properly, but failed.

The plan to declare an "asylum crisis" makes the coming months uncertain. The government is working on several plans to reduce the influx of asylum seekers into the Netherlands. But it is still unclear exactly what these plans are and how they will affect asylum procedures or family reunification. It is important to know that, even if a crisis is declared, not everything will change immediately. Many legal steps are needed before new laws can be introduced.