The Dutch cabinet wants to jail rejected asylum seekers who obstruct their return. They could face up to six months in prison. Asylum Affairs Minister Bart van den Brink (CDA) published the bill for public consultation on Wednesday.
The criminal measure would only be used if other efforts to encourage people to leave the country have failed. Van den Brink described the proposal as the “final piece” of the government’s asylum policy.
“We must be able to punish people who are not entitled to residence and continue to obstruct their deportation,” he said. “Asylum policy cannot exist without a credible return policy in which obstructing return can no longer be accepted.”
A bill introduced by the previous cabinet to criminalise illegal residence failed to pass the Senate this spring, partly because coalition party D66 voted against it.
Following that defeat, Van den Brink said he would quickly present a new proposal. The plan specifically targets people who deliberately obstruct their return after their asylum applications have been rejected.
@anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
