The Netherlands will become the latest EU country to step up strict border controls to reduce the number of immigrants, after France and Germany announced similar measures.
The border controls could come into effect at the end of next month, Dutch broadcaster RTL reported on Wednesday, citing government sources.
The border controls are part of broader anti-migration measures proposed by a Dutch coalition led by Geert Wilders’ PVV party. The measures also include limiting asylum permits to a maximum of three years and restricting the ability of asylum seekers who are allowed to stay to reunite with family members, RTL reported.
This comes after France announced last week that it would step up border checks from November, following a similar move by neighbouring Germany, which suspended the freedom of the passport-free Schengen Zone in September to crack down on illegal immigration.
The tough new border controls to be introduced in the Netherlands were already part of a coalition agreement reached by the parties in July, following Wilders’ stunning election victory almost a year ago. But it took months for the parties to reach a compromise on the way forward, as Wilders insisted on declaring a national asylum crisis, which would allow the government to bypass parliament.
However, such a move was opposed not only by the opposition parties but also by one of the PVV’s coalition partners, who questioned its necessity and even legality.
As a compromise, the new package will be voted on both in the Lower House, where the government has a majority, and in the Senate, where it is likely to receive enough support outside the coalition to pass.
Border controls introduced because of “serious threats to public policy”
Meanwhile, French authorities notified the European Commission last week that the country’s borders with six neighbouring Schengen members – Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain and Switzerland – will be reinforced from November 1 for at least six months.
The controls will apply to travellers entering France by land, sea and air from all six countries and will expire on April 1, 2025, but authorities said they could be extended.
A French government statement said the checks were introduced because of “serious threats to public policy, public order and internal security caused by high-level terrorist activities … criminal networks facilitating irregular migration and smuggling, as well as migratory flows into which radicalised individuals can infiltrate.”
This is the first time France has introduced such controls since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is possible that migrants and unauthorised travellers will be turned back at the border and suspected criminals will be detained.
Under the Schengen Agreement, 29 European countries have agreed to abolish internal border controls in order to achieve freedom of movement across the continent.
Twenty-five of the 27 EU member states are party to the agreement, along with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
However, the Schengen Borders Code allows member states to introduce temporary border checks “as a last resort” if the authorities believe there is a serious threat to public order or internal security.
Such temporary restrictions can last up to six months, which is why French authorities have given an end date of April 1, 2025 for the upcoming measures. However, such checks could be extended if threats are deemed to persist.
