Dutch Government Implements Strict Migration Control Measures

The Dutch government, led by Geert Wilders' PVV party, announced measures to limit migration, including halting new applications and stricter border controls. These actions, part of a declared national asylum crisis, aim to make the Netherlands less attractive to asylum seekers and challenge EU asylum rules.

The Dutch government revealed plans on Friday to implement a series of measures aimed at curbing migration, including a temporary halt on new applications. This announcement came just days after Germany introduced border controls to manage unwanted migrants.

Nationalist Geert Wilders' anti-Islam PVV party, leading the new government, plans to declare a national asylum crisis, allowing it to enforce stringent migration policies without needing parliamentary approval. While opposition parties question the legality and necessity of these measures, PVV's migration minister Marjolein Faber cited existing national migration laws as the basis for these actions.

"We are taking measures to make the Netherlands as unattractive as possible for asylum seekers," Faber stated on Friday. The government intends to seek an exemption from EU asylum rules, despite anticipated resistance from Brussels. Initial steps include ending open-ended asylum permits and restricting family reunification for asylum holders. The government also plans to enact a crisis law to suspend new application decisions for up to two years and reduce facilities for asylum seekers. Additionally, stricter border controls will be introduced to combat human trafficking and irregular migration.

(With inputs from agencies.)