PVV, VVD, NSC and BBB agree on ‘asylum agreement’, presentation today

The coalition parties PVV, VVD, NSC and BBB have reached an agreement on the asylum measures under the leadership of Prime Minister Schoof at the Catshuis. “We are out,” PVV leader Wilders said on X. “It was a very nice evening, we can live with it,” faction leader BBB Van der Plas told reporters was waiting

VVD faction leader Yesilgöz said as he walked out: “We had something to discuss with each other, but I am happy that we have reached an agreement.” The consultation between the coalition parties lasted more than 8 hours. Yesilgöz did not want to answer questions about what he was about for so long. “You can read everything tomorrow, when it is discussed in the Council of Ministers.”

Acting party leader Van Vroonhoven from NSC also did not want to say whether the distributed plans a lot has changed since wednesday. “I can’t say anything about that now, you’ll see tomorrow.”

Sources tell NOS that clearer agreements have been made regarding the distribution law and housing for status holders.

The VVD specifically asked if special measures were possible for municipalities. For example, it relates to the rapid abolition of the distribution law. With this law, every town is obliged to receive a number of asylum seekers. However, removing it quickly will not solve anything for many cities as long as the number of asylum seekers remains the same. This could cause additional pressure on some cities that want to receive asylum seekers, the VVD fears.

And removing the obligation on cities to arrange housing for status holders (asylum seekers with a residence permit) could also cause problems, it is said. After all, the ‘fair’ distribution across the country then disappears, while the number of homeless people remains the same. The central government must then be ready to take over the housing functions from the municipalities.

It was therefore decided that the bill to abolish the deportation law must be submitted at the same time as the legislative proposals aimed at reducing the number of asylum seekers. This should eliminate municipal complaints. The government will submit the proposals this year, is the intention

Today the ‘asylum agreement‘, on which the four parties have agreed, will be discussed in the Council of Ministers. The government will then announce the plans and answer questions about them.

PVV leader Wilders and NSC task force leader Van Vroonhoven had closed their biggest differences earlier this week. Last night they had to explain their joint proposal to the other two parties.

To this end, the four coalition parties PVV, VVD, NSC and BBB met at the Catshuis to consult with Prime Minister Schoof. VVD and BBB still had many questions, Yesilgöz and Van der Plas said when they arrived.

The ‘asylum agreement’ is largely an analysis of agreements already made by the four parties in the coalition agreement. But there are also new agreements, which may have raised questions.

These new agreements are about possibly declaring regions in Syria safe and therefore able to reject and return Syrian asylum seekers. It is also new that in the future residence permits will be valid for up to three years. In addition, the distribution law could be withdrawn this year. And the job of cities to offer housing to status holders will no longer apply.

To make the agreement possible, Wilders has given up his great desire to introduce measures through emergency law. These could be taken quickly because the House of Representatives and the Senate could only vote on the measures after that. Now everything goes through ‘normal’ legislation and both Houses have to agree first.

Is there ice al a lot of criticism to hear from interest groups and municipalities. Tomorrow it will be clear what the government will put forward in the coming months. It is certain that a stricter asylum policy is being prepared than in the Netherlands at the moment.