News hour
NOS News•today, 12:30•Changed today, 12:56
The controversial dispersal law, which should ensure that asylum seekers are better distributed across the country, nevertheless receives a majority in the House of Representatives. A proposal by the SP to change the law so that the financial strength of a municipality will also play a role in the distribution is supported by other parties. The SP will therefore also vote in favor of the bill, creating a majority.
This does not yet mean that the law, which could force municipalities to open an asylum seeker center in extreme cases, will actually be introduced. The Senate must also agree. The question remains whether there is a majority there. It is also possible that the entire subject will be postponed to the formation of a new cabinet.
This afternoon the House of Representatives will vote on the various amendment proposals that have been submitted. The entire bill will then be voted on at a later date, perhaps on Thursday.
Municipal autonomy
The law of outgoing State Secretary Van der Burg of Asylum should put an end to the lack of shelter, which forced asylum seekers to sleep outside the registration center in Ter Apel last year. Even now, the State Secretary regularly calls on municipalities to make shelter places available.
Van der Burg’s own party, the VVD, is against the law because it would not change the high influx of asylum seekers. Like parties such as the PVV and JA21, the VVD also believes that municipal autonomy will be affected if the government can push through the need for an asylum seeker center somewhere.
The SP believes it is important that the financial situation of a municipality plays a role in the distribution. Because municipalities receive compensation for providing shelters, poorer municipalities are now more inclined to say ‘yes’. Rich municipalities can refuse a request.
At the initiative of the CDA, municipalities are given more time to voluntarily offer shelters before coercion can arise. The VNG, the Association of Dutch Municipalities, has also insisted on this.
BBB against
BBB will almost certainly not support the dispersal law. Party leader Caroline van der Plas had set the condition that a quota of a maximum of 15,000 asylum seekers per year would be included in the law, but there is no majority in favor of this.
If BBB votes against in the House of Representatives, there is a good chance that the party in the Senate will do the same. Because BBB is the largest faction there with sixteen seats, it is still very questionable whether the law will reach the finish line.
2023-10-03 10:30:31
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