EU Migration Pact will bring more misery, racism, and violence against migrants seeking safety across Europe
CanaryMay 04
Netherlands Set to 'Opt Out' of EU Asylum Policy
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The Facts
The newly agreed Dutch coalition government said on Thursday that it intends to bring in a "strictest-ever asylum regime" and would ask the European Commission to add an "opt out clause" for the EU's asylum and migration system.
Geert Wilders, the leader of the nationalist PVV party, stated that the new right-wing government aims to get a deal "as the Danish have." However, he acknowledged that it could take years even if Copenhagen gets permission to opt out of EU migration rules.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Notwithstanding the fact that it's illegal for the Netherlands to get an "opt out" clause for EU asylum and migration policies, the goal of the incoming coalition is nonsensical at best. Europe has long needed a collective plan to deal with the growing influx of irregular migrants — and after a decade of negotiations, this one seems to be the best outcome possible.
Right narrative
As the Netherlands is one of the most densely populated nations in Europe and currently faces a migrant crisis, it's only natural that the incoming coalition will focus on reforming the country's asylum policy as well as its migration rules. Finally, the Dutch government will work for its own people.
Left narrative
Ever since the Dutch mainstream media began normalizing Wilders and his far-right PVV, one could only expect that he would be able to form a government of his own and tilt at windmills. The Netherlands has no asylum crisis. Applications have been steady since the 1990s, and nearly all immigrants are migrant workers — who are vital to the economy — and expats.