On 3 June 2024 the Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof offered the resignation of the cabinet to the King. This is following the withdrawal of Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party’s support for the government, citing a lack of progress on migration policy. It is likely a new general election will be held before the end of the year. The outcome will determine future government policy on asylum and labour migration.
Stricter migration policy
Following elections at the end of 2023, Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party (PVV) emerged as the largest party. After 6 months of extensive negotiations, the PVV and 3 other parties formed a coalition agreement. The agreement aimed to implement the ‘strictest asylum regime and broadest package to control migration,’ including pursuing an opt-out from EU asylum and migration policy and broadening the work permit requirement. See our alert here for more details.
Recent developments
In a press conference on 26 May 2025, Geert Wilders set out additional policy items he wanted the government to address, focusing on tightening asylum migration policy. In the following days, discussions with the leaders of the other governing parties VVD, NSC and BBB ended without agreement. As a result, on 3 June Geert Wilders withdrew PVV’s support for the cabinet. Subsequently Prime Minister Dick Schoof announced his cabinet’s resignation, paving the way for new elections.
The governing agreement from May 2024 had set out new policy measures in respect of migration, including measures that focused on tightening existing highly skilled and labour migration policy. With new elections expected before the end of the year, it remains to be seen whether those policy measures will be adopted and taken forward by a new government. In the meantime it is unlikely the outgoing cabinet will implement new policy measures in respect of migration due to its caretaker status. For employers, this means that no significant new facilitations or restrictions are to be expected in respect of labour or skilled migration until a new government takes office.
Vialto will continue to monitor developments and any potential impact from a global mobility perspective.
For a deeper discussion on the above, please reach out to your Vialto Partners point of contact, or alternatively:
Hugo Vijge
Director
Nini Braken-Zheng
Manager
Marijan Vrhovac
Senior Associate
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