Asylum Laws
Yesterday, it was successful to get two important laws adopted in the House of Representatives.
The law introducing a dual status system creates two types of residence permits: a temporary permit for people who have fled due to war and a permanent one for those who are personally persecuted. This makes it possible to grant fewer rights to people who only need temporary protection. This is how we arranged it in the Netherlands until 2000 and how it is still done today in other European countries.
The asylum emergency measures law will ensure that fewer people come to our country and also relieve the Dutch asylum chain. The temporary residence permit will be shortened from five to three years, and no residence permits for an indefinite period will be granted anymore. The possibilities for family reunification will be limited. We will also simplify the long, cumbersome asylum procedure in several respects. There will be broader possibilities to declare foreigners who are not allowed to stay as undesirable. It will be punishable to be here illegally, a point the VVD has always advocated. This allows us to address asylum seekers who are not allowed to stay here and cause nuisance or are even criminal. What has been discussed in recent days, but which is not the intention, is, for example, making life difficult for the Salvation Army or the church when they distribute a glass of water or a cup of soup. This is not what this is about.
These are two laws that truly provide us with tools to gain control over migration. They will really make a difference for the Netherlands. The path to this was not easy. Until the last moment, we worked hard to bridge our differences and see how we could find common ground. And we succeeded. The way we worked together to get these laws adopted is, in our view, an example of how it should be done and how it can be done. Even while the cabinet is in a caretaker position, we continue to work. And how. A big compliment to Mona Keijzer and our own David van Weel. On to the Senate, so that these laws can be implemented quickly!
Integration and Naturalization
This week, hard work has also been done to ensure that those who are allowed to stay in our country participate in our society and endorse our values. That we protect those for whom the freedoms of our country are not yet self-evident. The VVD has made many proposals over the past years, which are finally being implemented by this cabinet.
For example, Jurgen Nobel is working to make agreements with municipalities to standardize the guidance of female status holders to work. This aligns with the equal position of men and women in the Netherlands and the necessity for newcomers to get to work as soon as possible.
Being part of a society and being employed is not possible if you do not speak the language. Therefore, learning the language is an important part of the requirements we set for newcomers. This week, the proposal from Bente Becker was adopted that you can only become Dutch if you speak the language sufficiently (level B1).
Participating in society means that you endorse our norms and values and behave accordingly. Our open and free society is what makes our country so special. So you should be able to walk safely down the street with a kippah. Walk hand in hand with your boyfriend as a gay person. Or choose to let go of your faith. Jurgen Nobel is working hard to ensure that every newcomer knows that these values are non-negotiable.
Equally important is that we know what our history is. What has shaped us. How important our freedom is and how it has been fought for. Therefore, since July 1, 2025, it is mandatory for newcomers to know that the Holocaust is an important part of that history. According to State Secretary Nobel, newcomers will visit museums and memorial sites during their integration to pass on the important lessons from World War II to newcomers.
Finally, he is working to strengthen the self-determination of women and girls. Too many girls and women are not allowed to choose their partner themselves or are even forced to marry someone. Women are subjected to genital mutilation due to terrible traditions. And if they do not behave as the family wants and shame the familys honor, it can literally be life-threatening. This does not fit in our country and must stop. Women have the full right to determine how they organize their lives. And to make their own choices in freedom. This provision has also become an explicit part of the new integration exam as of July 1, 2025. Bente Becker is also working with the SP on an initiative law to make the approval of genital mutilation in, for example, mosques punishable.
On all these points, we are therefore continuously working to protect and strengthen our free society, in which we ask the same of everyone and in which everyone has the same freedoms.
Delivering for Our Voters
Caretaker or not, in the Chamber or in the cabinet, this is how we deliver for our voters. Every day, very concretely, making our country freer, safer, and stronger step by step. The Chamber is going on recess, but we continue to work! You will hear from us!