Netherlands goes for opt-out of EU migration rules

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) – The Netherlands has informed the EU that it is opting out of the union’s migration rules, the country’s migration minister announced on Wednesday.

“I have just informed the EU Commission that I want a migration opt-out within Europe for the Netherlands,” said Marjolein Faber.

She added: “We need to be in charge of our own asylum policy again!”

On Tuesday Faber announced that the government is allocating extra €95 million ($107.72 million) to support the country’s strictest ever asylum policy.

“The Netherlands cannot cope with the high influx of asylum seekers. Something must be done to deal with this crisis,” she said.

According to EU data, the Netherlands received two asylum applications per 1,000 residents in 2023, lower than the union’s average.

Opt-outs are a means of ensuring that when a given EU members state does not want to take part in a particular field of the union policy, it can opt out, thus avoiding an overall stalemate.