CIVICUS discusses the Dutch government’s new migration plan with Femke de Vries, coordinator for European Union (EU) policy and advocacy at the Dutch Council for Refugees, a human rights organisation that supports asylum seekers in the Netherlands.
Anti-migrant policies are on the rise as far-right parties gain influence across Europe. In the Netherlands, the conservative government is considering a plan proposed by the far-right Freedom Party, a member of the ruling coalition, to send rejected asylum seekers to Uganda in exchange for financial aid. Details remain unclear, and the Dutch prime minister has admitted that the plan may not be feasible, with critics also making clear it is unethical given Uganda’s anti-LGBTQI+ laws and dismal human rights record. Uganda’s response has also been mixed, stressing that it already hosts 1.6 million refugees and opposes deportation.