Migrante Netherlands strongly condemns the recent passage of the Asylum Emergency Measures Act and the Two-Status Systems Act by the Dutch Tweede Kamer (lower house of representatives) last July 3. If passed in the Senate in September, these measures will escalate the criminalization of migration and the erosion of refugee rights. It signals the full embrace of the far-right agenda at the heart of the Dutch state.
The proposed law seeks to indefinitely suspend the processing of new asylum applications, leaving thousands of people, many of whom are fleeing war, persecution, and poverty, inevitably trapped in legal limbo. It introduces stricter asylum procedure standards that effectively curtail and lower the chances of asylum seekers of obtaining legal status in the Netherlands, further institutionalizing exclusion and precarity.
We also express deep concern over the proposal to introduce a discriminatory two-status asylum system, which aims to divide refugees into two categories: those fleeing personal persecution based on origin, sexual orientation, or religion, and those escaping war or natural disasters. Under this system, the latter group (those fleeing conflict and violence) will be granted fewer rights, face shorter residence periods, and be pressured to return as soon as conditions in their home countries are deemed to have “improved.” The proposed changes also severely restrict the right to family reunification for both groups, particularly limiting the number of family members allowed for post-travel reunification.
Worse still, the law criminalizes individuals, organizations, and communities who offer aid, support, or shelter to undocumented migrants. This includes churches, charities, housing collectives, and grassroots migrant organizations like ours. This blatant attack on the right to provide humanitarian assistance is cruel, inhumane, and deserves the greatest resistance from the entire migrant community in the Netherlands. The proposed bills seek to isolate us migrants, drive us deeper underground, and silence those who resist.
The passage of these bills in the Tweede Kamer is the logical outcome of years of anti-migrant hysteria, normalized by mainstream political parties who have caved to or collaborated with the racist, far-right agenda. It reflects a broader European trend of ‘fortress-building’ that excludes migrants from their borders through militarized policing, the use of surveillance and detention infrastructure, and the deliberate creation of legal and logistical barriers that make it nearly impossible for displaced peoples to access protection, safety, and justice.
As Filipino migrants in the Netherlands, we know firsthand that migration is not a crime, but a product of crisis. Many of us were forced to leave our homeland due to systemic poverty, joblessness, and political repression – the same conditions created and worsened by the very imperialist policies that the Dutch state helps uphold, including neoliberal trade agreements, military alliances, and extractivist investments in the Global South.
More importantly, this proposed law is a reminder of the Philippine government’s betrayal of its own people. The Marcos Jr. administration has continued to intensify the labor export policy: treating Filipino workers as commodities to be deployed abroad while doing little to address the economic and political conditions that force them to leave. Despite the billions in remittances sent home by Overseas Filipino Workers, the Marcos Jr. regime fails to provide protection, legal support, or reintegration for its migrant workers. Worse, it remains silent in the face of blatant human rights violations against us.
We call on the Philippine Embassy in The Hague to proactively extend support and legal assistance to all Filipino migrants in the Netherlands, especially those who are undocumented and will be directly affected by this proposed law. This includes providing accessible legal aid, facilitating emergency assistance, offering safe spaces for consultation, and engaging with Dutch authorities to uphold the rights and dignity of Filipino nationals. Migrants, regardless of their legal status, must not be abandoned or left to fend for themselves in the face of intensifying criminalization and exclusion.
We also call on all Dutch citizens, allies, and supporters to stand in solidarity with migrant communities during this time of great need. We urge you to speak out against policies that further marginalize undocumented people, and to support grassroots efforts that defend the rights, safety, and humanity of migrants. Whether through direct assistance, volunteering, providing sanctuary, or raising your voices in public discourse and political processes, your solidarity is urgently needed.
Shut down the new asylum bills!
Defend migrants and refugees!
Migration is NOT a crime!
