Far-right Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders has rolled out a sweeping 10-point programme aimed at drastically cutting migration to the Netherlands, ratcheting up pressure on the fragile four-party coalition that swept into power in 2023.

At the heart of Wilders’ proposals is a demand to deploy the army to guard land borders and to turn away every asylum-seeker who attempts to enter the country. 

Other measures include a temporary halt to family reunification for recognised refugees, a “one strike you’re out” deportation policy for migrants convicted of violent or sexual crimes, and the expedited return of Syrians on temporary visas—on the grounds that “much of Syria is now safe,” Wilders said on Monday.

Drawing comparisons to policies already adopted by Germany’s new interior minister, Wilders said some European neighbors have “taken the gloves off” on migration and urged the Dutch coalition to follow suit. 

“If migration policy is not toughened up, my party is out of the Cabinet,” he threatened, underscoring the high stakes for Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s government.

Coalition tension boils over

Wilders’ ultimatum deepens rifts within the ruling alliance, which also includes the pro-business People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), the centrist New Social Contract, and the agrarian Farmers Citizens Movement. 

Since agreeing last October to reintroduce border checks and curb family-member visas, the coalition has implemented only incremental steps—hardly enough for Wilders, who decried the slow pace as “not enough to turn the tide.”

To advance his plan, ministers would need to renegotiate the coalition’s founding agreement before sending legislation to parliament. But with deep disagreements already evident over budget allocations and climate policy, analysts say bridging the gap on migration could prove even more daunting—and potentially fatal for the government’s unity.