ANP extension
The day before the ChristenUnie meets for a congress, party leader Gert-Jan Segers spoke on an issue that is a sensitive topic within the party: migration.
In an interview with General newspaper he says he is ready to collaborate to limit the influx of asylum seekers. But then there must also be a debate on labor migration.
Not all members are happy with it. “An article that still sounds quite VVD,” replies Ben Bloem, party chairman of the ChristenUnie in Apeldoorn. “And then I think: why? In any case it seems useless to me, and also imprudent.”
Segers says he was misunderstood. He wants to widen the debate, which now only concerns asylum seekers.
I felt that peace had returned a little after the VVD passed the asylum law.
The topic of “restricting the flow of asylum seekers” has been put on the map by the VVD. To that party it is clear: that influx must be “substantially” reduced. That’s what party leader Mark Rutte said at the party congress about him last week.
To have any chance of success, he must first involve his fellow coalition parties. So is the Christian Union. But the question is whether supporters of that party want to go along with plans to limit the flow of asylum seekers.
“My first reaction was quite shocking,” says ChristenUnie member Antonie Fountain of the article on Algemeen Dagblad. “It is not the intention to open the discussion to limit the migration of asylum seekers. It is also not the message of our party at all.”
Jens Mostert is also critical of Segers’ statements. He is president of PerspectieF, the youth organization of ChristenUnie.
“Initially, I think it’s good that attention is being paid to addressing the problem of migration in a broader sense,” he says. “Just that I was really disappointed that an attempt was made here to change the influx of asylum seekers. Although that’s really not the right time to do it.”
Measures against bullying
Segers clarifies his statements a News time. “When the VVD puts migration on the agenda, they often just want to talk about asylum and refugee policy,” he says. “And that often results in discussions about what I call bullying measures.”
As examples of such harassment measures, Segers mentions lengthening procedures and erecting additional barriers to seeking and receiving asylum.
“You can talk to me about asylum,” Segers says. “But above all migration. So also migration for work, which is the biggest part of migration, and where working conditions are often extremely poor.”
Take a clear position
Fountain thinks that bringing labor migration as a theme is really the message Segers wanted to convey with the interview. “But it didn’t go well. And even if that was the intention, one wonders if we really have a problem with too many workers coming this way right now.”
“CBS indicated 2 months ago: There is no industry in the Netherlands that is not understaffed, so I think we should be grateful for the people who want to come here and do the work that we actually don’t have the capacity to” .
It is a pity that the discussion on migration has been revived, says Ben Bloem, chairman of the ChristenUnie Apeldoorn party. “I thought, damn it, it was really necessary. We have a congress tomorrow, where we talk about asylum, among other things. But I felt that peace had returned a little after the VVD passed the asylum law.”
Segers thinks it’s important to take a clear stand now. “Because I’m very afraid that if we don’t set the agenda ourselves, anti-bullying measures will be put on the agenda. I’m not prepared for that. So I just have to say ‘no’, and now I indicate what I want. “
