The Senate debates new asylum laws: what will happen?
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The Senate continues its consideration of the new asylum legislative proposals. In a meeting on 20 January, questions were posed to officials from the Ministry of Asylum and Migration. When will the laws be voted on, and what does this mean in practice?
What laws was the meeting about?
The meeting dealt with several asylum bills, including:
Dutch Asylum Emergency Measures Act.
Law introducing two-state system.
Executive and Implementation Act 2026 Asylum and Migration Pact.
New amendment to the legislative proposal to criminalise undocumented residence.
What are the asylum legislative proposals about?
The legislative proposals are government proposals. They include these items:
A temporary asylum permit goes from 5 years to 3 years.
There will be no new permanent asylum permits.
The government will have more opportunities to turn away people who are not entitled to stay (anymore).
In addition, there is a proposal for a two-status system. That means there could be two types of protection, with potentially different rights and rules, especially in terms of family reunification.
Family reunification will also be stricter. Under the plans, fewer family members are likely to be allowed to come to the Netherlands. Reuniting with your family will become more difficult.
What can you do?
Trust reliable information:There are many messages on social media, but not everything is correct. Therefore, check information through reliable sources, such as the IND and RefugeeHelp.
Discuss your situation with your lawyer or counsellor: Every situation is different. Are you in proceedings, or do you want to apply for family reunification? If so, ask what these plans might mean for your situation.
RefugeeHelp will keep you informed. We will share an update as soon as more is clear about the next steps and votes.