A last-minute amendment that criminalises helping undocumented migrants sparked backlash, prompting the Christian Democrats to pull their support.
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Dutch lawmakers on Thursday approved two controversial bills aimed at tightening restrictions on asylum-seekers, despite concern from some MPs that the new measures could criminalise those offering humanitarian assistance to undocumented migrants.
The legislation, passed by the lower house late Thursday evening, reduces the duration of temporary asylum residency permits from five years to three, halts the issuance of new asylum permits indefinitely, and imposes new restrictions on family reunification for recognised asylum recipients.
The Dutch Red Cross estimates that between 23,000 and 58,000 people currently reside in the Netherlands without legal status.
Although the bills cleared the lower chamber, they may still face rejection in the upper house following the summer recess. If the Senate blocks the measures, they will return to the lower house for revision.
Tighter migration controls were a central pledge of the now-collapsed governing coalition, led by Geert Wilders’ far-right Freedom Party.
The four-way government dissolved last month after just 11 months in office, with migration expected to dominate the upcoming snap election on 29 October.
Wilders blamed the coalition’s collapse on delays in pushing forward with migration reform. While his coalition partners disputed that claim, all parties had previously voiced support for stricter migration policies.
Wilders’ party currently leads opinion polls by a slim margin over a newly merged centre-left alliance.
The Christian Democrats withdrew their support for the legislation following the last-minute addition of an amendment introduced by a member of Wilders’ party.
The clause, which narrowly passed due to the absence of some opposition MPs, would criminalise individuals and organisations that assist undocumented migrants, as well as those residing in the country without valid visas or asylum rulings.
The vote marked the final parliamentary session before the summer break. The upper house is expected to debate the bill upon its return.