Migrante Netherlands strongly condemned representatives from the Lower House for proposing the Asylum Emergency Measures Act and the Two-Systems Act filed on July 3. If enacted, these will intensify the criminal treatment of migrants and revoke refugee rights.
Dubbed as “the strictest asylum policy in history,” the proposed law aims to indefinitely suspend the application process for those seeking asylum. Thousands of people fleeing war, persecution, and poverty will face uncertainty and danger. The process for obtaining asylum will become stricter, which will certainly reduce the chances for those who wish to reside in the country to obtain legal status.
Under the two-status system proposed in Congress, refugees will be categorized into two: those who fled due to personal persecution based on their gender, religion, or place of origin, and those who fled because of war or disaster. In this system, those who left because of conflict and violence will receive only limited rights, a shorter period of residence, and will be forced to return to their country of origin once the situation “improves.” The proposed law will also restrict the right of both groups to be with their families, particularly the number of family members allowed to visit them.
Worse, the law will criminalize any individual, organization, or community that provides aid, support, or temporary shelter to undocumented migrants. This includes churches, charities, and organizations that promote the welfare of migrants. According to Migrante Netherlands, “the blatant attack on the right to provide humanitarian assistance is cruel, inhumane, and must be opposed by the entire migrant community in the Netherlands.”
“As Filipino migrants in the Netherlands, we know firsthand that migration is not a crime, but a product of crisis. Many of us were forced to leave our homeland due to systemic poverty, joblessness, and political repression—the same conditions created and worsened by the very imperialist policies that the Dutch state helps uphold, including neoliberal trade agreements, military alliances, and extractivist investments in the Global South,” the group explained.
“This proposed law is a reminder of the Philippine government’s betrayal of its own people,” the group noted. The US-Marcos regime continues to intensify the labor export policy, treating Filipino workers as commodities sent abroad while doing nothing to address the economic and political conditions that push Filipinos to leave the country.
Despite the billions in remittances sent by migrants, the regime does not provide protection, legal support, or opportunities for migrant workers to return home. “Worse, it remains silent in the face of blatant human rights violations against us.”
“We call on the Philippine Embassy in The Hague to proactively extend support and legal assistance to all Filipino migrants in the Netherlands, especially those who are undocumented and will be directly affected by this proposed law. We also call on all Dutch citizens, allies, and supporters to stand in solidarity to uphold the rights and dignity of migrants. Migrants, regardless of their legal status, must not be abandoned or left to fend for themselves in the face of intensifying criminalization and exclusion,” Migrante Netherlands appealed.
