VVD Member of Parliament Dan de Neve leaves the party. He leaves home because he does not agree with the Cabinet’s asylum policy. De Neve informed the group about this on Wednesday evening, he wrote on Twitter.

“The VVD party is simply no longer my party,” de Neve wrote in a statement. He describes the cabinet’s asylum policy as “too cold” and says he can no longer defend it.

“I was counting on humanity a week after a three-month-old baby died in Ter Apel, in which MSF spoke of an emergency. But compassion was not forthcoming, and in my taste, a cold approach took its place.” De Neve says he is unable and unwilling to defend this. “Neither will I”

De Neve has been a member of the House of Representatives since March 31, 2021. He has been involved in matters including justice and public health.

More criticism of asylum policy plans

Within the VVD, there is also criticism of the Cabinet’s plans for asylum policy. This criticism mainly focuses on the government’s failure to intervene forcefully enough. Members called for the asylum to be halted Tuesday evening during a party meeting with the state minister at VDJ.

The coalition parties agreed last week after hard negotiations on a plan to address problems in the asylum system. This means, among other things, that family members of an asylum seeker who remained in the Netherlands are only allowed to come to the Netherlands if the asylum seeker who is allowed to remain has a home.

Group leader Sophie Hermans says she respects her colleague’s choice. But I “sorry for his view of the delicate and balanced agreements reached last week. I know that both the Secretary of State and our spokesperson do their job with sympathy.”

There is also opposition to asylum policy within the CDA and ChristenUnie coalition parties. There, the members mainly oppose the chosen policy and demand more sympathy. Especially the decision about family members is wrong with individuals.