On Wednesday and Thursday evening and Friday morning, a cabinet delegation will meet for the umpteenth time to negotiate on migration. So precarious is the matter that Prime Minister Mark Rutte will nonetheless be joining us on Wednesday evening, as will three deputy prime ministers. When it comes to controlling the migration of work, knowledge and love, the demands, wishes and positions of VVD, CDA, D66 and ChristenUnie are not far apart. Asylum, on the other hand, is the big divisive issue.
VVD and CDA against D66 and ChristenUnie
Although the four sides believe there should be a grip on asylum, VVD and CDA advocate a much tougher approach than D66 and ChristenUnie. The last two have been insisting for months on mainly humane, legally sustainable and feasible measures.
No more delays
The VVD is putting further pressure on the cabinet to present a solid package on Friday, which mainly aims at a substantial reduction in the number of asylum seekers arriving in the Netherlands. His own VVD does not want the one-week postponement, to which Secretary of State Eric van der Burg (Asylum Affairs) recently alluded.
Last year, VVD leader Rutte promised the VVD faction and angry and worried VVD members that he would take personal steps to limit the influx of asylum seekers. At the last VVD congress, in early June, he reiterated that promise. VVD party chairwoman Sophie Hermans then called on Rutte to hurry up. She and other VVD lawmakers said they couldn’t rule out pulling the plug if there isn’t a solid package before the summer.
Reduce the influx of asylum seekers
The thorny issue now is to reduce the influx of short-term asylum seekers. The table includes proposals to admit a maximum number of asylum seekers (target number) and to introduce a two-status system, which distinguishes between permanent refugees and people seeking temporary protection. The coalition clashes over both proposals. Furthermore, the VVD would find the current package too poor.
Sources in The Hague speak of a lot of grumpiness within the cabinet. They do note, however, that this cabinet has often faced blazing fires before and finally come out of it.