Dutch immigration policy causes government to fall

Dutch immigration policy: The Dutch government collapsed on Friday as a result of a failure to reach a deal on immigration restrictions, leading to new elections in the fall.

The crisis arose from Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s conservative VVD party’s push to limit the influx of asylum seekers into the Netherlands, a proposal that two of his four-party government coalition partners refused to support.

During a televised news conference, Rutte stated, “It’s no secret that the coalition partners have differing opinions about immigration policy. Today, we unfortunately have to conclude that those differences have become insurmountable. Therefore, I will tender the resignation of the entire cabinet to the king.”

Tensions escalated this week when Rutte demanded support for a proposal to restrict the entry of children of war refugees already present in the Netherlands and to impose a two-year waiting period for family reunification.

This proposal proved to be too extreme for the small Christian Union and liberal D66 parties, leading to a deadlock.

While a new administration is formed following the upcoming elections, Rutte’s coalition will serve as a caretaker government, a process that typically takes months in the fractured Dutch political landscape. The national elections committee stated that elections are unlikely to be held before mid-November.

As a caretaker government, Rutte’s coalition will be unable to implement new policies, although Rutte confirmed that it would not affect the country’s support for Ukraine.

The Netherlands already has one of Europe’s strictest immigration policies, but under pressure from right-wing parties, Rutte had been attempting to further reduce the inflow of asylum seekers for months.

Asylum applications in the Netherlands surged by a third last year, surpassing 46,000, and the government projects that they could exceed 70,000 this year, surpassing the previous record set in 2015.

This surge in applications will once again strain the country’s asylum facilities. Last year, hundreds of refugees at a time were forced to sleep outdoors without access to drinking water, sanitation facilities, or healthcare for months.

Rutte expressed his “shame” about these problems and vowed to improve conditions at the facilities, primarily by reducing the number of refugees arriving in the Netherlands. However, he failed to secure the support of coalition partners who believed his policies went too far.

Rutte, 56, is the longest-serving government leader in Dutch history and currently the most senior leader in the EU after Hungary’s Viktor Orban. He is expected to lead his VVD party in the upcoming elections.

The current coalition led by Rutte, which took office in January 2022, marks his fourth consecutive administration since becoming prime minister in October 2010.

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