Dutch PM hints at resumption of border controls

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told a press conference on Friday that he did not exclude the possibility of resuming border controls to curb the influx of asylum seekers.

The Dutch government has always advocated a common European approach to handle the amount of refugees coming to the European Union. "But as a country we need to think that, if it does not work in Europe, and if it fails with the countries around us, whether we can do it alone," Rutte said.

When asked if that means the resumption of Dutch border controls, he answered: "That could be, but there are many variations possible."

In an interview with Dutch newspaper Het Financieele Dagblad and some European newspapers on Friday, Dutch Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem said that countries like Sweden, Germany, Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands "are carrying the heaviest burden in the asylum crisis by taking in the most refugees".

According to Dijsselbloem the Schengen zone, created in 1995, now comprising 26 European countries that have abolished passport and any other type of border control at their common borders, cannot work if only a few countries give shelter to most of the refugees. This might, according to the Dutch finance minister, ultimately lead to a mini-Schengen zone with the countries he mentioned.

The influx of asylum seekers in the Netherlands this year could amount to a total of 58,000, the Dutch government announced earlier on Friday. In total 47,574 asylum seekers were registered at the reception centers on November 23, already almost double the amount of 2014 (24,929).

"We cannot continue with the influx of asylum seekers at this level," Rutte said. "It affects all kinds of things, such as affordability and social services." Endit