NETHERLANDS: Anti-migration protest descends into violence — Progress in deal to set up deportation centre in Uganda — Government plans stricter nationality law — Immigration service raises concerns over impact of new asylum laws

• An anti-migration protest has resulted in injuries to police officers and journalists, and an estimated € 90,000 of damage.
• The Netherlands has taken a step closer to establishing a “transit centre” for unsuccessful asylum applicants in Uganda.
• The caretaker government is planning to increase the residency requirement for Dutch citizenship to 10 years.
• The Immigration and Naturalisation Service has raised concerns about the impact of the controversial draft asylum laws on the effective functioning of the country’s asylum system.

An anti-migration protest in the Hague descended into violence just over a month before the general elections. The protest, which was organised by a right-wing activist known as ‘Els Rechts’ on 20 September, brought together an estimated 1,500 participants, some dressed in black and carrying Dutch flags as well as banners linked to far-right groups. Rioters threw stones and bottles at the police and set a police car on fire. They also briefly blocked a motorway and vandalised the offices of the centrist D66 political party. The rioting resulted in injuries to at least 11 people (four police officers and seven journalists) and an estimated € 89,000 of damage to political and government buildings.

The rioting triggered strong reactions across the political spectrum. Mayor of the Hague Jan van Zanen called the unrest “unprecedented and unworthy of the Netherlands” and stressed that “groups of hooligans from across the country had deliberately sought confrontation with police”. D66 leader Rob Jetten wrote on social media: “If you think you can intimidate us, tough luck. We will never let extremist rioters take away our beautiful country”. Leader of the Labour Party (PvdA), Frans Timmermans, described the scenes as “Trumpian” and blamed politicians who exploit fear and division for fuelling the violence. Caretaker Prime Minister Dick Schoof condemned the protests as “shameless” and “unacceptable”, and even the leader of the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV), Geert Wilders, condemned the violence, calling the protesters “idiots”.

The Netherlands has taken a step closer to establishing a deportation centre for unsuccessful asylum applicants in Uganda. On 25 September on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Minister of Foreign Affairs David van Weel and his Ugandan counterpart, Odongo Jeje Abubakhar, signed a declaration of intent to co-operate on returns. Under the preliminary agreement, people from countries neighbouring Uganda who are ordered to leave the Netherlands but cannot be returned directly or voluntarily within a reasonable timeframe would be temporarily accommodated in the east African country before being returned to their countries of origin. The deal forsees a pilot programme involving a limited number of unsuccessful asylum applicants. ECRE member organisation the Dutch Council for Refugees has rejected the idea of the deportation centre, including due to concerns about Uganda’s human rights record. “We are concerned about human rights compliance in Uganda, where torture is practiced in prisons, minorities are oppressed, and LGBTQ+ legislation is draconian,” it wrote on the day the declaration of intent was signed, adding: “The Netherlands simply cannot guarantee the safety of those sent there”. It also warned about the likelihood of the plan failing based on other countries’ experiences. “Previous plans for such provisions, such as the UK’s Rwanda plan or Italy’s Albania deal, have failed due to legal and practical obstacles,” it wrote.

The caretaker government is planning to introduce a major change to the Dutch nationality law. On 26 September, the Council of Ministers approved a proposal from State Secretary for Justice and Security Arno Rutte to move forward with draft legislation that would increase the minimum required period of legal residence for naturalisation from five to ten years. Rutte explained that the longer period is intended to ensure that Dutch nationality is only granted to people who have established a “durable connection” with the Netherlands. The proposal will be subject to a two‑month online consultation period before it is sent to the Council of State and later presented to the new parliament.

The Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) has raised concerns about the impact of the controversial draft asylum laws on the effective functioning of the country’s asylum system. In its assessment, the IND warned that the measures, which include reducing the duration of refugee residency permits, tightening family reunification and making a distinction between people fleeing war and those who face persecution, would create “much more work” and that the asylum sector would struggle to hire the “several hundred” full-time staff members required to manage the workload. The caretaker government has acknowledged the likely impact on asylum procedures and insisted that “clarity about the legislation is needed as soon as possible, so that the IND can begin implementation”.

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