Dutch Far-Right Leader Wilders Proposes Asylum Ban, Syrian Deportations, Threatens Coalition Exit

Geert Wilders, leader of the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) in the Netherlands, has unveiled a controversial 10-point plan demanding a drastic reduction in immigration, including a total asylum stop, deportation of Syrian migrants, suspension of family reunions for refugees, and deployment of the army to guard land borders. Wilders has threatened to withdraw his party from the four-party coalition government if these stringent measures are not adopted, putting the fragile coalition formed after the 2023 elections at risk of collapse. His demands come amid frustration with the government's slow progress on migration policies and diverging views within the coalition, which includes the VVD, New Social Contract, and Farmers Citizens Movement. The plan also includes revoking Dutch nationality from dual nationals convicted of violent or sexual crimes and closing asylum centers rather than expanding them, reflecting Wilders' long-standing hard-line stance on immigration and Islam. These proposals are partly inspired by similar policies adopted in neighboring Germany but would require renegotiating the coalition's founding agreement, complicating governance amid existing disagreements on other policies. Wilders' ultimatum highlights deepening political tensions and the potential destabilization of the current Dutch government.