A formal request for exemption from the European Union’s migration and asylum regulations has been acknowledged by the bloc. This appeal has been put forth by the Netherlands’ new right-wing alliance, a move that has been celebrated as a symbol of change by Geert Wilders, the leader of the governing party.
It was Marjolein Klaver, Dutch migration minister, who delivered this request to the European Commission in Brussels last Wednesday. Klaver affirmed via social media site X that their nation must regain control of its own asylum policy.
An EU Commission representative emphasised that the recent immigration pact of the EU, requiring over three years of negotiation with the intent of enhancing Europe’s border security, had taken effect as of June. An exemption, she further explained, can only transpire if modifications are made to the pact, which they do not foresee in the near future.
In fact, unanimous approval from all 27 EU member states would be necessary to grant the Netherlands an exemption, a process likely to be lengthy and difficult. However, whilst the new EU pact was implemented in June, its fresh regulations will only be imposed after a two-year transition period, starting 2026.
Brussels is visibly anxious that the Dutch exemption could potentially trigger similar requests and cause disruption to the agreed plan. This fear became evident when Hungary’s minister for European affairs, Janos Boka, immediately expressed support for the Dutch proposal on Thursday.
Boka insists on immediate intervention to curb illegal migration, affirming Hungary’s interest in seeking a similar exemption alongside the Netherlands if an amendment to the treaty allows. The exemption request forms part of the hardline immigration policy the new Dutch government aims to put into action, the most stringent in the country’s history.
The primary objective is to pronounce a crisis regarding asylum due to the ongoing congestion at Ter Apel, the foremost immigrant entrance hub, and the grave deficit of fitting lodging in other parts of the nation. If successful in announcing this upheaval, the governing body would attain the capacity to sidestep the parliamentary system and bring forth emergency provisions like halting applications for asylum or impeding refugees’ rights to reunite with kin from overseas.
In a fervent parliamentary argument, the GreenLeft-Labour Alliance’s leader, Frans Timmermans, professed his intention to put forth legislation aimed at preventing the implementation of such drastic measures. He dubbed these measures as “an undemocratic manoeuvre” posing “a threat to democracy.”
In retaliation, Mr Wilders branded Mr Timmermans as “a populist” and “completely oblivious” to the public’s anxiety over unrestrained immigration in their localities.