Asylum laws quietly tightened: no more penalty payments and threat of prison for those who do not leave

The Dutch government is implementing stricter asylum laws, which include ending the practice of paying daily penalty fines to asylum seekers for delayed processing. These fines had cost the state significant sums in recent years. Additionally, individuals from safe countries who are denied asylum can now be declared unwelcome, making them liable for prosecution and potential imprisonment if they remain in the country. The legislation further allows for the detention of rejected asylum seekers who refuse to return home voluntarily, with the possibility of being confined to cells for up to 23 hours a day in cases involving severe nuisance behavior.

This legislative package incorporates several measures that were previously rejected in the cabinet's emergency asylum laws. By integrating these policies into existing or new legislation, the government aims to tighten immigration control. Other measures already implemented include restrictions on family reunification and the issuance of three-year instead of five-year temporary residence permits. A final proposal currently pending involves criminalizing individuals who actively obstruct their own deportation, targeting a specific group of roughly 100 to 300 people annually with potential fines or jail time.