Migrante Netherlands response to so-called ‘reforms’ in the Asielwet
While Minister of Foreign Affairs for Asylum and Migration David van Weel’s removal of the provision that criminalizes those who help undocumented migrants may appear to be a welcome development, we see it as nothing more than an insidious political trick. The revised version of the law that he is proposing still criminalizes undocumented or irregular migrants themselves, leaving the most vulnerable exposed to arrest, deportation, and persistent discrimination.
From the start, this law was crafted with a clear strategy: to introduce an outrageous provision that will draw widespread public criticism, then remove it to appear responsive to public pressure. Meanwhile, the ultimate goal of criminalizing undocumented migrants remains untouched. This is a deliberate attempt to manipulate public opinion, a smokescreen to pacify critics, while the underlying structural injustice remains firmly in place.
Migrante Netherlands calls on all migrants, human rights organizations, and the Dutch public at large to reject this deception. True justice for undocumented migrants requires the full abolition of laws that criminalize people simply for seeking safety, opportunity, and dignity.
We will not be fooled. We will continue to expose these manipulations, mobilize our communities, and demand real protections for all migrants, documented or undocumented. Discrimination, criminalization, and marginalization have no place in a society that claims to uphold human rights.
The fight continues!
