Geert Wilders, whose Freedom Party (PVV) party sits in the Dutch Government, has said he wants Syrians to be sent back to their home country.
“Why do we still let in Syrians in massive numbers?” Wilders asked on X on August 25.
According to him, Syria is safe enough for recognised asylum seekers to return.
Wilders also said he wanted the borders to be closed “in principle” for Syrians and advocated for the return of Syrian refugees with temporary residence permits to their home country.
On Prinsjesdag (Prince’s Day), the third Tuesday of September, when the Dutch King is set to give a State of the Union speech, the return of Syrians should be at the top of the agenda, as far as PVV is concerned. The political party stated it wanted to put forward proposals in parliament to achieve that, newspaper Trouw reported.
With the move, Wilders has raised the pressure on his own minister in government, Marjolein Faber, and the rest of the government of the Netherlands.
Syriërs moeten terug naar Syrië!@trouw pic.twitter.com/w141ZZNuIl
— Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) August 26, 2024
For years, Syrians have made up the largest group of asylum seekers in the country. Many people claiming to be from Syria have temporary residence permits secured due to the conflict in the Middle Eastern country.
The Netherlands has granted residence permits to 82 per cent of asylum seekers from Syria. Currently, approximately 150,000 Syrians reside in the country.
According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), approximately 13,000 Syrians submitted initial asylum applications in the Netherlands in 2023. Of these, more than 80 per cent were male and most of them were under 35 years old.
It remains uncertain as to whether Wilders will easily get his way. In its latest assessment, the interior ministry said Syria was not a safe country. NGO’s and Human Rights organisations share the same view.
This could lead to the courts blocking attempts to organise the return of Syrians by the government.
Currently, voluntary returns are possible, but the Dutch Government does not forcibly return Syrians because according to the ministry there is “a real risk of serious damage” for the persons sent back.
If it is officially declared that parts of the country are safe then it would be possible to send people back to those areas. The previous state secretary of asylum had already indicated in April that security was improving in certain regions, which could lead to a policy shift.
The European Commission has indicated it would support future Dutch efforts to declare an “asylum crisis” and take extraordinary measures regarding an influx of immigrants. https://t.co/hNArFCwnCt
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) August 23, 2024
