Overview
- Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Groningen and Utrecht asked the Dutch Senate to vote down the proposal to make illegal stay a crime.
- The cities say the rule would push undocumented people away from schools and care, including for children, and deter contact with police, raising risks of exploitation.
- Municipal leaders caution that aid workers could be treated as accomplices despite a repair bill that promises no prosecution for helpers.
- The Council of State previously said the carve‑out for complicity does not fit regular criminal law, which leaves helpers unsure about their legal protection.
- The call comes ahead of a Senate debate on the wider asylum emergency law, as church leaders, the Red Cross, the Dutch Bar Association and the national ombudsmen voice similar concerns.