Autor Thomas Brooke Remix Newsist,
Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders has issued a stark ultimatum to the country’s ruling coalition, threatening to withdraw the government’s support within weeks if it does not impose a strict freeze on asylum applications.
“Otherwise we will step down,” the leader of the Freedom Party (PVV) declared at a press conference on Monday, where he presented a ten-point plan aimed at severely restricting migration and abolishing the current asylum policy.
Wilders’ proposals include closing the borders to all asylum seekers, using the military to enforce border controls, halting family reunification for recognized refugees, and expelling tens of thousands of Syrians with temporary protection status. He also called for the closure of asylum centers, the swift repeal of the dispersion law that distributes asylum seekers among municipalities, and the abolition of housing priority for status holders.
“Our patience is now over,” Wilders said, arguing that his party had been “very reasonable and very patient” over the past year in waiting for a stricter migration policy. He cited Article 72 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which allows member states to act unilaterally on internal security issues, to justify a complete border closure to asylum seekers.
“The limit has been reached for me and for many Dutch people,” he told reporters, quoting TPO. “The Netherlands must become Holland again. The PVV will not wait any longer.”
One of the most radical proposals is the forced return of around 60,000 Syrians to what Wilders claims are “safe” areas of Syria after the fall of ousted former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. “The EU and the US recently lifted sanctions against Syria. So it’s time to go back!” he said.
The plan also calls for the immediate deportation of asylum seekers and dual nationals convicted of violent or sexual crimes. Wilders proposes stripping dual nationals of their Dutch citizenship and deporting them, even if this means unilaterally withdrawing from the European Convention on Citizenship.
He also criticized the Dutch police leadership and local authorities for their failure to maintain public order. Citing the Scheveningen riots and pro-Palestinian demonstrations, Wilders called for tougher police intervention and said that mayors who prevent him from doing his job should be removed from office. “If a mayor does not let the police do their job and use violence if necessary, they should pack their bags,” he said.
Wilders’ ultimatum puts even more strain on the fragile four-party coalition government led by independent Prime Minister Dick Schoof. Although the PVV won a historic victory in the 2023 parliamentary elections and became the largest party in the Netherlands, Wilders’s candidacy was blocked by former New Social Contract (NSC) leader Pieter Omtzigt and VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz.
“Omtzigt and Dilan didn’t let me become prime minister, so there was a Schoof I cabinet,” Wilders said. “But if this cabinet behaves like Rutte V and doesn’t change or doesn’t change enough, then we’re gone.”
One of the coalition parties, the NSC, downplayed Wilders’ threats and stressed that the coalition agreement already includes strong migration measures awaiting implementation by parliament.
As VRT reported, opposition parties also rejected Wilders’ plan, describing it as a “political spectacle” and a “diversion tactic.” The Dutch defense union VBM criticized the call to deploy troops to the borders, saying that this was the responsibility of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, which already lacks sufficient personnel to monitor all 840 border crossings.
Despite the criticism, Wilders says the PVV is simply demanding that the government act in accordance with what voters expected in the 2023 election. “The streetscape of our cities and districts has changed beyond recognition due to mass migration and Islamization,” he said. “We have too many foreigners, too much Islam, there is no respect for our culture and people.”
