This month, the Dutch House of Representatives passed a bill that criminalizes undocumented stay (which includes vulnerable groups like asylum seekers who have fallen between the cracks of a partly dysfunctional asylum system), and also criminalizes providing assistance (by volunteers, doctors, teachers, etc.) to undocumented migrants, including children and 'undeportable' asylum seekers.
Virtually all experts agree that this bill will not solve any problem, but will actually make things worse, violates the Dutch constitution and fundamental human rights (including children's rights), and blatantly ignores the fact that the Dutch Council of State already slammed the legislation for being unworkable.
Nevertheless, several mainstream parties, including the liberal VVD and the centrist NSC, which ironically was founded to protect the constitutional state, apparently still cherish the illusion, that they can outflank far-right leader Wilders by taking 'hard' action against immigration (read: asylum) and by taking pride in creating the most hostile and unforgiving climate for refugees possible.
What they fail to understand is that this strategy is likely to backfire, as it did in the past time and again, as it only legitimizes Wilders' frame of immigration (read: asylum) as the the 'Mother of all Problems' and the ultimate, existential threat to the Dutch nation. This only sets up the 'issue owner' PVV for the next election victory, which was exactly Wilders' strategy all along when he pulled the plug from the government last month: redirecting all attention back on asylum.
Appeasing the far-right will only feed the monster.
In this way, you have lowered yourselves, once again, to become willing actors in Wilders' asylum theater, to further normalise the dehumanizing migrant threat narrative, whilst betraying the very principles your parties claim to stand for. It reveals your weak spines, your lack of conviction, your cowardice, and your lack of willingness to actually solve migration problems.
Certainly, immigration is not only a good news story. It brings its share of problems and challenges. And there's nothing inherently wrong with wishing to better control, or bring down, immigration. But you also know that there are no simple solutions to complex problems. Yes, it certainly requires guts to tell a story about migration that contradicts most of your own jaded talking points on this issue. Still, telling the truth is the only way forward, so that we can have a real debate about migration and so that we can actually start solving problems.
But instead of taking actual responsibility you prefer to wallow yourself in a dangerous fantasy land; in that deep, stinking hole you dug for yourselves.
Wow, ladies and gentlemen parliamentarians, you are so brave!
Feels good, right? Taking down the weakest, the most vulnerable? How liberal, how humanistic, how constitutional is that? You must be so incredibly proud of yourselves. Congratulations!