Wilders Accuses Dutch PM of Turning Country into 'Semi-Arab State'

Geert Wilders, leader of the far-right Freedom Party in the Netherlands, accused Prime Minister Rob Jetten of turning the Netherlands into a "semi-Arab country" due to his government's lenient migration policy.

Wilders wrote on the platform "X": "Jetten is turning the Netherlands into a semi-Arab country with his open-border policy. He grants billions of euros in aid abroad while leaving the Dutch suffering from the cost of living."

He added that the Freedom Party will do everything in its power to bring down the current government, marking a new escalation in its opposition to migration and public spending policies. This comes according to a statement published by the party on its official website on November 4, 2026.

The Netherlands has long faced increasing pressure on its asylum seeker reception system, amid a severe shortage of accommodation places and delays in processing refugee applications, as well as difficulties in relocating those granted refugee status to permanent housing due to the housing crisis.

In spring 2026, the number of residents at the main refugee reception center in the town of Ter Apel exceeded 2,300 people, despite its designated capacity being two thousand, while the nationwide shortage of accommodation places reached several thousands.

The crisis worsened with protests in several areas against plans to open new centers for asylum seekers, particularly in the towns of Loosdrecht and INGELIN, where some actions were accompanied by riots and the use of powerful fireworks, necessitating police intervention.

In the latest official data, the Dutch government announced on November 2 that the total flow of asylum seekers and related categories amounted to approximately 830 people during the forty-fourth week of the year, including 610 who submitted first asylum applications, 180 who arrived under family reunification, and 40 in other categories.

Authorities have repeatedly called on municipalities to provide additional reception places and distribute the burden of accommodation across different regions, in an attempt to alleviate pressure on overcrowded centers, foremost among them the Ter Apel center.

Source: RT