Dutch premier meets with his party over migrant crisis

AMSTERDAM

The Netherlands' Prime Minister Mark Rutte met Tuesday with lawmakers from his four-party coalition to address their concerns about how to tackle the issue of the rising number of migrants seeking asylum in the country.

Speaking to reporters, Rutte said there is "no crisis" after he met with lawmakers from his center-right People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) following their refusal to support legislation that would oblige municipalities to offer accommodation to asylum seekers.

Rutte said he held talks with the lawmakers on how to reduce the number of asylum seekers arriving in the Netherlands, which are at the highest level in seven years.

Following the meeting, the leader of the VVD lawmakers, Sophie Hermans, said her party would support the legislation, but she nevertheless expressed concern over the issue.

She said migration “is a much bigger question. It's also about arrivals. It's about ensuring that people who aren't entitled to be here leave the country.”

- Government struggling to accommodate refugees

The Dutch government aims to pass the legislation, which would come into effect as of Jan. 1, 2023, which stipulates that each municipality should host a number of refugees determined by the government.

At least three cruise ships have been used as temporary refugee shelters after the government faced accommodation problems at asylum centers and due to municipalities' failure to provide shelter to refugees.

In addition, 300 refugees were shifted to a hotel in the village of Albergen that was purchased by the government and transferred to the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA).

Asylum applications became national crisis

The high volume of the asylum applications in the village of Ter Apel in the past few months turned into a national crisis.

While the government was trying to reduce the numbers at the asylum center, the Dutch Red Cross also set up a tent in the garden of the center due to the lack of beds and removed it after a backlash.

After removing the tents, many refugees -- including women, children and the elderly -- continued to sleep in the garden.