In the Netherlands, there’s a significant political controversy involving the Dutch government’s spending on asylum seekers while many citizens live in poverty. The government has allocated 24 billion euros for asylum support, highlighting a stark contrast to the one million Dutch citizens living below the poverty line. Central to this debate is Eric van der Burg, the acting State Secretary, who is relieved that a new law about distributing asylum seekers among municipalities has gained support in the Senate.
However, this law has caused political inconsistency within the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy party (VVD), a major political party in the Netherlands. The VVD members in the lower house of Parliament opposed the law, while their counterparts in the Senate supported it. This difference in stance within the same party has raised questions about their political coherence and strategy.
Erik de Vlieger, a prominent real estate entrepreneur, criticized the government and suggested that those who voted for left-wing Prime Minister Mark Rutte or the VVD party were misled. During the debate, Van der Burg revealed the substantial costs associated with housing asylum seekers, with figures reaching 31,000 euros per year for regular asylum accommodations and 65,000 euros per year for emergency shelters.
Former MP Wybren van Haga highlighted the disparity between the government’s extensive spending on asylum seekers and the apparent neglect of Dutch citizens living in poverty. He accused van der Burg, whom he labeled the “asylum king” of the VVD, of indifference to the plight of impoverished Dutch citizens.
Een asielzoeker kost ons €31.000 per jaar, een crisisnoodopvang zelfs €65.000. We geven 24 miljard per jaar uit aan asielzoekers terwijl 1 miljoen Nederlanders onder de armoedegrens leven.
— Wybren van Haga (@WybrenvanHaga) January 17, 2024
En de asielkoning van de #VVD Eric van der Burg lacht er om…#Dwangwet #BVNL pic.twitter.com/0MsTq1Mf1X
The Forum for Democracy party, a conservative-leaning political group in the Netherlands, has been critical of the government’s policy. They argue that it’s overly generous to asylum seekers from Africa and the Middle East and threatens national identity and financial stability. They propose keeping “hopeless immigrants” out of Dutch cities and villages and supporting asylum seekers in their regions of origin instead as a more cost-effective solution.
This situation reflects a larger debate in the Netherlands about national identity, economic priorities, and the government’s handling of asylum and immigration issues in the face of domestic economic challenges.
News Link: https://rairfoundation.com/dutch-asylum-king-under-fire-24-billion-migrants/
