Call from more than 100 Dutch development organisations: ‘Reverse cuts on development cooperation’

More than 3.4 billion euros will be cut from the Dutch budget for development cooperation and humanitarian assistance in the coming years if the government’s “spring budget” (Voorjaarsnota) is approved. As more asylum seekers than expected are coming to the Netherlands, the government intends to use these funds from the development cooperation budget to provide housing for these asylum seekers within Dutch borders. This money would otherwise be spent on sustainable development and humanitarian assistance throughout the world. Over 100 Dutch development organisations, including Dorcas, are therefore calling for these cuts to be reversed and for the setting of a maximum amount for the asylum costs paid from the development cooperation budget.

Partos, the umbrella association for more than 100 Dutch development organisations, considers it very ill-advised that the Dutch government will cut back on tackling the root causes of conflict, climate change, poverty and humanitarian assistance. It therefore calls on the Dutch House of Representatives to reverse the budget cuts.

Liana Hoornweg, director of Partos: ‘Of course, the Netherlands must provide adequate asylum for refugees. However, the painful fact is that standard asylum has been subject to budget cuts for many years. As expensive emergency shelter is now being deployed, the very poorest in the world are the victims of a failing Dutch asylum policy. We call on the Dutch House of Representatives to tackle this problem structurally: introduce a maximum amount for the asylum costs that can be paid from the budget for development cooperation. That will allow the development budget to be used for its intended purpose: promoting sustainable development by tackling the root causes of conflict, climate change, hunger and poverty.’

Spokespersons from the coalition parties CDA, D66 and ChristenUnie confirmed the undesirability of increasing contributions from the budget for development cooperation to fund expenditure on housing for asylum seekers. Party congresses of D66 and CU adopted motions in 2022 to set a maximum amount from the budget for development cooperation that can be used on costs for asylum. Hoornweg: ‘Now is the time for action. We are counting on the coalition parties to stick to their own statements in the coming weeks. The debate on humanitarian assistance on 11 May is a good next opportunity to do just that.’

11 May 2023