ANP Prime Minister Rutte in the Torentje on the evening of the fall of the cabinet
For the first time it is clear what agreements the government parties wanted to make to contain migration to the Netherlands. At the beginning of July, the cabinet fell on the issue, but they already largely agreed on many measures. The agreements never came out because there was no final deal yet, but News hour managed to get hold of it.
If it had gone ahead, underprivileged asylum seekers would have been dealt with much more harshly. D66 and the ChristenUnie also agreed. The VVD was prepared to give promising asylum seekers more room, and possibly to give them the right to work under certain conditions.
The proposals are in a draft for a letter to the House of Representatives, written by people who were present at the discussions. The ten-page letter is dated July 7, the day the cabinet fell after months of difficult negotiations.
Several MPs have asked for the letter, because they want to know exactly why the government fell. But the cabinet refuses to provide the document, because it has never come to an agreement.
Lock up the underprivileged earlier
The draft letter offers an interesting insight into the compromises that VVD, D66, CDA and ChristenUnie were willing to make to limit migration to the Netherlands, both for work and study and for asylum.
For example, there had to be a much stricter policy for underprivileged asylum seekers. Their shelter would be cut back and legal assistance by a lawyer would no longer be free. People without papers or with a previous asylum application in another country would be locked up more quickly in immigration detention.
“Combined with a quick handling of the asylum procedure, illegal migration can be discouraged,” the letter says.
Strict border controls
The coalition also largely agreed on stricter border controls. More money and personnel would go there and the cabinet would advocate the reintroduction of permanent border controls between Schengen countries in Europe when large flows of migrants arise.
The stricter approach to underprivileged asylum seekers was a wish of VVD and CDA. In other areas, D66 and ChristenUnie would get their way. For example, status holders would be able to get housing more quickly, in a home or in special transfer locations. The parties also discussed allowing promising asylum seekers to work under certain conditions.
The VVD was always against this, because it would make it more difficult to deport asylum seekers if they are ultimately not allowed to stay.
Migrant workers
The coalition partners also reached compromises in the approach to labor migration. Labor migrants form the largest group of foreigners who come to the Netherlands. There are regular abuses in the working and living conditions of some of these people.
The draft letter states that if these abuses continue, a ban on the use of temporary workers from abroad in certain sectors will be considered. Higher salary requirements would also make it more difficult to attract young highly skilled migrants to the Netherlands.
Tax benefits for expats unaffected
On the other hand, the tax benefit for highly educated and well-paid labor migrants would continue to exist. These ‘expats’ may receive a large part of their wages (30 percent) tax-free for five years. The draft letter states that the cabinet will leave the scheme untouched “to remain attractive to sectors with high-quality labour”.
The government parties obviously did not agree on all subjects. Some points contain the term ‘PM’, or Pro Memorie. This means that the proposal had to be further elaborated. This applies, among other things, to the conditions for family reunification, the subject on which the cabinet ultimately fell.
Opposition: Symbolism
Member of Parliament Kati Piri of the opposition party PvdA describes the asylum proposals in the letter as symbolic politics. “Especially to satisfy the VVD.” She sees it as “bullying refugees”, while the influx has not decreased due to the measures. “If they had really been about controlling migration, the cabinet would not have had to fall over this.”
According to Pieter Omtzigt, the document shows how far the cabinet was prepared to go, but the measures to combat labor and study migration are not much in his view. “This way you’re not going to start to contain that yet.”
CDA member Bart van den Brink says that the draft letter proves that it is indeed possible to get a grip on migration. He recognizes in it many of the ideas of his party. He believes that the VVD has acted “recklessly” by bringing the conflict to a head. “But now we are going to ask the voter how to proceed.”
Political reporter Arjan Noorlander:
“The content of this piece is interesting because the coalition parties – despite major differences – had come close to an agreement on migration. The cabinet had wanted to be considerably stricter for people who are not welcome, but migrants who are allowed to stay had to participate more quickly. can contribute to society.
But yes, the cabinet has fallen over the last stretch of this agreement, the family reunification. Even if it concerned a few thousand people, a small part of the entire group of migrants, the result is that all these plans have been put on hold for the time being. The implementation will have to wait for a new cabinet. A delay of at least several months.”
2023-08-31 15:59:30
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