Media laden…
**edit, sorry i forgot to explain what the new low actually does.
Hello everyone,
I thought I would start a new collection specifically dedicated to commenting on what’s happening in the world and the Netherlands. I hope you find it useful.
also, i have quite a few posts lined up to write about my experiences. i just had an eye infection to deal with last week and a very busy schedual this week. and when i finally had some time, this happened and took over my thoughts for today…
anyways, look forward to those either this weekend or next week.
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With the adoption of the emergency asylum laws and the amendment to the Housing Regulation Act yesterday in the House of Representatives, we’ve reached a new moral and political low in the Netherlands.
The new asylum laws make it a criminal offense to be undocumented, and they also criminalize anyone who provides assistance to undocumented people in any way.
People fleeing war, persecution, and violence have been made scapegoats for everything supposedly wrong with our country.
After all, instead of taking responsibility for their own harmful policy decisions, it’s much easier for politicians to blame everything on outsiders. Refugees often can’t defend themselves, and because many people don’t understand different cultures, it’s easy to paint them as villains—people who are supposedly here to take away our ability to live comfortably.
Never mind that the government itself has cut back funding for healthcare, education, affordable housing, and other public goods. That has nothing to do with migrants. When public spending hasn’t been slashed to the point where services barely function, services have been privatized—turned into dysfunctional profit schemes.
But that’s a much harder story to explain than simply blaming outsiders.
And on top of that, last night the same Parliament voted in favor of a PVV amendment to the Housing Regulation Act, which stipulates that all foreigners with a residence permit will never again be eligible for housing priority.
If homes are demolished, Dutch citizens get priority—but those with residence permits do not.
Even if someone needs suitable housing due to a serious, often life-threatening medical condition, they won’t be prioritized unless they have Dutch or EU citizenship.
This so-called “ban on priority” applies not only to recognized refugees, but to all people with residence permits. And it’s not just about the allocation of a first home after leaving a shelter—this applies for the rest of their lives.
I’m really saddened by how individualistic our society has become.
It’s become normal to blame refugees or anyone arriving in this country—saying, “our lives are already hard,” and accusing them of taking what’s supposedly “ours.”
But do they really? Yes, things could always be better. But most of us can eat, drink, and sleep in peace. Most of us don’t go hungry.
Yes, some struggle a lot more than others to pay the rent and buy food. But in general, this is a very wealthy country.
We at least have a social safety net here. Most of us born here have family, friends, or others to fall back on when things get tough.
Refugees, on the other hand, don’t have that privilege. They come here from terrible situations—war, hunger, persecution. They don’t know anyone, don’t speak the language, and have to build everything from scratch. They must adjust to a whole new world, and somehow still manage to pay the bills and build a life and community for themselves.
It’s only reasonable that they receive some priority—if you stop and think about it.
Our starting positions are completely different to begin with.
And besides—do we really think the wealth we enjoy is solely due to our own effort and hard work?
The answer is no. A lot of the clothes we wear are fast fashion—built on child labor and modern slavery. We profit from war and the arms trade.
It’s also far easier to keep and grow wealth once you already have it, than to build it from nothing.
And where does that “head start” even come from, if we’re honest? Historically speaking?
From slavery, colonialism, and centuries of exploitation and suffering.
Our comfortable lifestyles are built on generations of oppression.
Of course, the people alive now weren’t directly responsible for that.
But if you reflect on why and how we have what we have—both in the present and the past—is it really so much to ask that we share?
To be aware of our position? To give something back to the world?
Just stop and think.
Yes, we all struggle in our own way. But try to set that aside for a moment.
Even if you ignore everything else I just wrote—if you were in their position, would you want to be seen as a criminal just for existing?
If you knew returning meant death, would you still go back, just because you were labeled “illegal”?
And how unfair would it feel to be branded a criminal for refusing to simply roll over and die?
Please—just think about it.
And for those who are affected by this—emotionally or personally—the most important thing is: don’t let it break you.
We can’t let ourselves be overwhelmed by negative emotions or by everything that’s going wrong. We can’t afford it—for our own mental health, and because the people who need our help can’t afford it either.
We need to save our energy and use it when it matters most.
For now, this law still has to pass through the Senate.
The Council of State also still needs to give its advice.
That means there are still many opportunities to resist.
And even if it does pass through both chambers—we can still fight to undo it.
Remember: if others can make the world a worse place, we have the power to make it better.
The Hague may have the power to make this country go to shit, but it can never take away our free will or our ability to act.
They cannot take away our morality either.
We can protest. We can occupy. We can shelter those in need, feed them, and above all, act with humanity.
If The Hague refuses to set the right example, it’s up to us to do it instead.
Normally, our government should provide leadership and moral guidance. But if they won’t, we must pave the path ourselves.
We can unite—churches, mosques, synagogues, organizations, political parties.
And most importantly: you and I.
We can bring together everyone who still has a moral compass and resist.
All of us, in our own ways and to the best of our ability—but united and with one heart.
So save your emotions. Let them fuel you when the time comes.
Keep an eye on what’s happening. Stay calm, and act when you’re able to help others.
Don’t be led by your emotions—but speak and act with emotion.
Let’s stay radically hopeful, and fight this tide with everything we’ve got, for as long as we can.
Keep each other grounded, focused, and ready to create change—no matter what it takes.
That’s it from me.
Yours,
ihab
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