Impact of Dutch preliminary election results on migration policy
In the media image: Sebastian Goldberg on Unsplash
Assistant professor Mark Klaassen says on RTL news that the preliminary election results will have little direct impact on the influx of asylum seekers. 'Whichever party wins, the Netherlands can do little to change who can seek national protection here as this depends on global developments’.
Klaassen points out that D66 first took a tougher stance on asylum and asylum migration during the election campaign. He believes there is something fundamentally unfair in the asylum system as it is generally those who are strong and prosperous who manage to make the dangerous and expensive journey to Europe. D66 wants to make this system fairer, but that will be difficult to implement. Policy is determined at European level and the Netherlands is obliged to comply with the treaties that have been concluded. According to the immigration expert, room to manoeuvre at the national level is therefore limited and changes in policy must be agreed at the European level.
In addition, the theme of labour migration played a greater role in this campaign than before. On the one hand, rightly so, says Klaassen, because of the abuses in certain sectors. However, on the other hand, the Dutch economy remains dependent on migrant workers. The government has little control over this: 'people mainly come for the work that’s available.' Klaassen adds that 'the Netherlands must tackle abuses, but at the same time remain attractive for the migrants we need for our economy.'