
Anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders unveils a 10-point plan to slash migration in the Netherlands
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Far-right Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders announced a 10-point plan Monday that aims to radically slash migration, including using the army to guard land borders and turning away all asylum-seekers.
The proposals put further strain on the fractious four-party ruling coalition that was cobbled together after Wilders' Party for Freedom swept to victory in a 2023 Dutch election on a platform pledging to slash migration.
'The gloves are off,' Wilders said. He added that if migration policy is not toughened up, his party 'is out of the Cabinet.'
Wilders has built his political career on calling for hard-line policies against Islam and migration in the Netherlands. Long in opposition, his party now has power and he said his patience has run out after months of talks and little action from the coalition to crack down on migration.
He said he wants to temporarily halt family reunions for asylum-seekers who have been granted refugee status, and to return to their home country Syrians who have applied for asylum or are in the Netherlands on temporary visas, arguing that much of Syria is now safe. Migrants who are convicted of violent or sexual crimes should be deported, he added, calling it a 'one strike you're out' policy.
Wilders said some of the measures already have been adopted by other European nations, including neighboring Germany. Others will require the Netherlands stepping out of European conventions, he said.
Earlier this month, Germany's new interior minister announced plans to station more police at the border to curb illegal migration and even turn away some of the asylum-seekers trying to enter Europe's biggest economy.
Ministers in the Dutch coalition would have to reach agreement on the proposals before sending them to parliament for approval. That could mean renegotiating the government policy agreement that paved the way for the creation of the government made up of Wilders' Party for Freedom, the right-wing People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, the reformist New Social Contract and populist Farmers Citizens Movement.
Wilders said his patience was exhausted at the lack of concrete action since the coalition agreed measures in October including including a re-introduction of border checks, a move to restrict family members who can join a person who has been granted asylum in the Netherlands and cutting the length of temporary visas.
He said measures agreed earlier by the coalition 'are not enough to turn the tide.'
___
Follow AP's coverage of migration issues at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Toronto Star
30 minutes ago
- Toronto Star
Families file suit challenging Arkansas law that requires Ten Commandments be posted in classrooms
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Seven Arkansas families filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging an upcoming state requirement that public school classrooms have posted copies of the Ten Commandments, saying the new law will violate their constitutional rights. The federal lawsuit challenges a measure Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed into law earlier this year, similar to a requirement enacted by Louisiana and one that Texas' governor has said he'll sign.


Toronto Star
30 minutes ago
- Toronto Star
AP PHOTOS: Mexican flags at LA protests spark debate over symbolism
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors. ——— Over the last week, a sea of green, white and red Mexican flags have become a fixture of the Los Angeles protests against immigration raids. The use of Mexican and other Latin American flags during the protests are a form of symbolism many conservatives are calling anti-American — while others argue they're an expression of pride in one's homeland that could not be more American. Whether it be U.S., Mexican or Palestinian flags, the banners reflect a nation of immigrants whose stories have become intertwined with the story of America, experts say. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Kris Hernández, an associate professor of history at Connecticut College, said the flying of foreign flags in the U.S. has always brought awareness to the plight of marginalized groups. Their appearance in the latest protests might symbolize solidarity with their native land or social movements that support Americans of Mexican descent, she said. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that those flying Mexican flags at immigration protests were left-wing radicals that attacked law enforcement agents 'removing violent, criminal illegal aliens from the city.' And even fierce Trump critic Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a Democrat, expressed his displeasure with the display of non-American flags at immigration protests that have spread to other states. 'Peaceful protests are fine. Violence is not and will only destroy your message,' Kinzinger wrote on X. 'American flags or nothing.' Amid the backlash, many Americans who support the right to protest are encouraging demonstrators to protest against immigration policies with the American flag instead of a foreign one, as way of reclaiming the U.S. flag for all who call the U.S. home. This underscores just how influential the American flag can be, Hernández said. 'What we are seeing ... is that people don't like to see some flags over others,' she said. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Some Latino activists say the Mexican flag is being used by people who were in this land before it was part of the United States. California was part of Mexico until the 1800's. Many Mexican Americans are descendants of people who never crossed a border — instead the border crossed them. Still, their display of the Mexican flag at protests is being twisted into something it's not, said Juan Proaño, CEO of the League of United Latin American Citizens. Hector E. Sanchez, president and CEO of 'Mi Familia Vota,' a non-profit focused on mobilizing Latino voters, said Mexicans have been at the forefront of attacks when it comes to immigration — attacks heightened during both of Trump's campaigns. Sanchez said he wonders why it's not called anti-American when some Americans fly Confederate flags next to the U.S. flag. 'We see a lot of flags celebrating cultural history and heritage,' he said. 'Why is it that the Mexican community is constantly under attack?'


Winnipeg Free Press
40 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Families file suit challenging Arkansas law that requires Ten Commandments be posted in classrooms
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Seven Arkansas families filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging an upcoming state requirement that public school classrooms have posted copies of the Ten Commandments, saying the new law will violate their constitutional rights. The federal lawsuit challenges a measure Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed into law earlier this year, similar to a requirement enacted by Louisiana and one that Texas' governor has said he'll sign. The Arkansas law takes effect in August and requires the Ten Commandments to be prominently displayed in public school classrooms and libraries. 'Permanently posting the Ten Commandments in every classroom and library — rendering them unavoidable — unconstitutionally pressures students into religious observance, veneration, and adoption of the state's favored religious scripture,' the lawsuit said. The suit was filed on behalf of the families by the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and the Freedom from Religion Foundation. The lawsuit names four school districts in northwest Arkansas — Fayetteville, Bentonville, Siloam Springs and Springdale — as defendants. A spokesperson for Fayetteville schools said the district would not comment on pending litigation, while the other three districts did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for Attorney General Tim Griffin said his office was reviewing the lawsuit and considering options. Attorneys for the families, who are Jewish, Unitarian Universalist or nonreligious, said they planned to ask the federal judge in Fayetteville for a preliminary injunction blocking the law's enforcement. The attorneys say the law violates longstanding Supreme Court precedent and the families' First Amendment rights. 'By imposing a Christian-centric translation of the Ten Commandments on our children for nearly every hour of every day of their public-school education, this law will infringe on our rights as parents and create an unwelcoming and religiously coercive school environment for our children,' Samantha Stinson, one of the plaintiffs, said in a news release. Louisiana was the first state to enact such a requirement, and a federal judge blocked the measure before it was to take effect Jan 1. Proponents of Louisiana's law say that ruling only applies to the five school boards listed in the suit, but The Associated Press is unaware of any posters being displayed in schools as the litigation continues. ___ Associated Press Writer Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana contributed to this report