The Netherlands extends tighter border controls until June 2026

The outgoing Minister of Asylum and Migration David van Weel has announced that the Netherlands will extend stricter controls on the borders with Germany and Belgium to June 2026 at the earliest.

Dutch police extend stricter border checks

Since December 2024, Dutch police have been carrying out additional border controls at crossings with Germany and Belgium. Van Weel announced in a letter to parliament that these checks will be extended until at least June 2026 to continue combating human trafficking and reducing the number of people seeking asylum entering the country.

Over the past nine months, of the 123.320 people who were checked at the borders, 470 were refused entry. According to NOS, this is more than would have been stopped with regular checks.

Van Weel’s predecessor Marlojein Faber first introduced the border controls as part of a strict plan to reduce the number of people seeking asylum in the Netherlands. The plans were heavily criticised and dubbed “symbolic politics” after refusing to provide the Royal Marechaussee with extra personnel to perform the additional checks.

While regular checks are in place, taking your passport and residence permit is advisable if you are crossing the Dutch border.

The Netherlands continues with border controls to limit asylum

The tighter border controls are being extended, because Van Weel believes that the threat still exists in the Netherlands and that rising pressure on asylum systems, caused by a shortage of asylum facilities for example, “could lead to an increased threat to public order”. 

However, the Netherlands Court of Audit previously reported that additional border controls are not effective in reducing the numbers, as the Netherlands is not allowed to refuse entry to people seeking asylum at the border, but the checks do combat illegal migration. 

Despite an overall drop in the number of asylum seekers entering the country in the past eight months, Van Weel claims the “absolute pressure remains high”. “The overall situation continues to cause serious problems regarding irregular migration, migrant smuggling, asylum and basic services such as reception and housing, and in relation to public safety in this regard,” writes Van Weel. 

For this reason, the borders between the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany will still be monitored closely until the European Migration Pact, which aims to screen migrants more efficiently, is implemented. 

10 EU member states, including the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, are currently carrying out temporary internal border checks. Under EU law, these measures are only allowed temporarily if countries can demonstrate that there is a “serious threat to public order or internal security”.