Dutch voters support tough asylum rules, but doubt they will happen

More than half of Dutch voters approve of the government’s plans to tighten rules for asylum seekers, although most doubt whether they can be implemented in practice.

An RTL voter poll found a majority of people support measures such as limiting residency to three years, faster deportation of refugees with criminal convictions and declaring parts of Syria “safe zones.”

Support was greatest among voters who backed Geert Wilders’s far-right PVV and the BBB farmers’ party in the elections, while those who backed the liberal VVD and the constitutional reformist NHSS were most doubtful about the feasibility of these plans.

“BBB and PVV voters do not want to see these difficulties or, from their point of view, look beyond them. They think: we’ll just change the system,” said RTL pollster Gijs Rademaker.

The poll of 15,000 voters shows that deporting criminal refugees was the most popular measure, with 89% supporting it, but only 52% believing it was viable.

Almost two-thirds supported the idea of ​​sending back Syrian asylum seekers, but only 36% believed this could be achieved in practice. Prime Minister Dick Shouf said Syrians would only be returned to areas deemed “safe” by government officials.

Border checks

And 69% were in favor of temporarily reinstating border controls, while 62% thought this was an achievable option.

The poll of 15,000 people also found that PVV voters’ trust in Geert Wilders fell after he agreed to abandon his plans to use emergency powers to implement measures to tackle the so-called asylum crisis.

Support among PVV voters remained high at 90%, up from 95% in early September. One panel member commented: “I’ve always thought highly of Geert Wilders, but I think giving everything away is a weak move.”

Another said: “He promises everything but delivers nothing – I regret voting for him.”