A new refugee camp will be opened for those who do not return home: in Uganda.
After eight hours of intensive negotiations, the coalition government in the Netherlands has agreed on a new asylum policy which, among other things, provides for the deportation of former refugees to peaceful areas in Syria.
The bill, which was mainly pushed by Geert Wilders and his PVV party, is part of a broader package of measures aimed at limiting immigration and reducing pressure on the country's asylum system.
Last week, Dutch government officials confirmed plans to send rejected asylum seekers to Uganda, along the lines of Britain's Rwanda plan and Italy's offshore processing center in the Muslim country of Albania.
“It is important for the government that rejected asylum seekers return to their country of origin. But that's where it sometimes stops,” Caroline van der Plas, party leader of the BBB, who was involved in the negotiations, told the state media company NOS. “Uganda is a hospitable country with which we have good relations,” she adds.
On Thursday, the leaders of the four coalition parties - PVV, VVD, NSC and BBB - met at the Prime Minister's official residence to finalize the negotiations.
The result was a compromise that several party leaders described as a success. “We have reached an agreement,” said Dilan Yeşilgöz, chairman of the VVD, after the meeting.
Nicolien van Vroonhoven from the NSC added: “We have come closer together.”
According to Dutch media reports, the reforms include shorter asylum periods, limited rights to family reunification and an easing of the rules for revoking the residence permit of foreigners who commit crimes.
One of the most debated elements of the proposal is the plan to deport former refugees to Syria, where the government is considering designating certain parts of Syria as “safe zones”. It would allow the government to repatriate people who had previously received protection in the Netherlands.
Caroline van der Plas described the negotiations as “a very good evening” and expressed her support for the decision, while Geert Wilders confirmed that the parties had found a common position on the issue.
Comments