The declaration of a national state of emergency due to immigration was also included in the government programme presented by the Dutch government on Friday, which will introduce stricter regulations to limit immigration.
In a live televised press conference, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof announced that Amsterdam would formally ask the European Union to temporarily exempt the Netherlands from implementing the EU's common migration policy.
The prime minister called for reducing the number of asylum seekers in order to solve the housing crisis, as well as making access to health care and education easier. He added: They cannot wait any longer with the procedures.
“If we act today, not everything will be resolved by tomorrow,” he said. “We have to make decisions; we do it for future generations, for our children and grandchildren.”
He said there were “conditions” for declaring a state of emergency, but added that he was confident the cabinet would be able to present a well-prepared reason to the Council of State on the matter, which could make a decision within six to eight weeks.
Asylum and Migration Minister Marjolein Faber said the move would allow the Dutch government to suspend some asylum legislation “very quickly” without parliamentary approval. “We are taking measures that will make the Netherlands as unattractive a country as possible for asylum seekers,” the head of the ministry declared.
The newly introduced measures would, among other things, limit family reunification, allow for the immediate deportation of those without a residence permit, and the cabinet could also suspend legislation on the equal distribution of asylum seekers in the Netherlands, i.e. without the approval of the lower and upper houses of parliament.
The Dutch government can declare a national state of emergency by royal decree, but it must also be examined from a legal point of view.
About 40,000 asylum seekers arrive in the Netherlands every year.
On the housing crisis, the cabinet said it was trying to realise the previous government’s vision of building or offering 100,000 apartments annually, for which €5 billion will be allocated over the next five years. An additional €2.5 billion will be invested in infrastructure to facilitate access to new homes.
The nearly 140-page document covers the “Dutchification” of Dutch higher education, as part of an attempt to suppress English at universities, except for a few colleges where future professionals from sectors with a high shortage are trained.
In addition, according to the plans, the number of foreign students will also be reduced, although many multinational companies based in the Netherlands have already protested against this idea.
In the part of the government programme dealing with defence, it was stated that the Cabinet remains determined to spend 2% of GDP on defence spending, and it was stressed that the Netherlands will continue to support Ukraine “in the financial, political and moral spheres”.
Other plans include ending “unsolicited foreign aid” to companies, foundations, religious organisations and “unofficial associations”, as well as extending the current maximum 15-year life sentence for which parents can be held responsible for crimes committed by their children. I would also increase the maximum sentence for terrorism-related offences.
