Change on the horizon for the Netherlands’ strained asylum system

Asylum seekers hold signs outside the offices of Immigration and Naturalisation Services in The Hague, to protest long waiting times for asylum procedures, on 13 April 2023. © AFP - REMKO DE WAAL

As coalition talks progress this week in the Netherlands, following the general election on 29 October – in which the centrist Democrats 66 narrowly defeated Geert Wilders’ far-right Party for Freedom – the focus is on changes to immigration and asylum policies.

With negotiations ongoing between leading parties including the Democrats 66 (D66) and the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), observers are watching for signs of a more balanced approach to migration, after years of heated rhetoric and restrictive measures.