Focus on border controls
In October 2024 the Schoof government decided to reintroduce internal border controls on a temporary basis, chiefly on the motorways from Germany and Belgium, in order to combat irregular migration and cross-border crime. The ambition is to relieve pressure on the migration system – including pressure on reception capacity and local accommodation. In the government’s opinion overcrowded asylum centres are a cause of incidents and safety risks. In reply to questions in the House of Representatives, the Minister of Asylum and Migration (A&M) said, ‘It is important to the government that the reintroduction of internal border controls increases our grip on the inflow of irregular migration, including asylum.’
Even before the reintroduction of internal border controls, the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (KMar) was carrying out border controls in the form of Mobile Security Monitoring. MSM took place 20 kilometres from the border for a limited period of time. Internal border controls take place at the border and in theory for up to 24 hours a day. Figure 1 summarises the results of internal border control in comparison with the results of MSM.
Results: refusals higher, the rest lower
| MSM | Internal border controls | |
|---|---|---|
| More people refused entry | 170 | 320 |
| Fewer arrests | 285 | 216 |
| Fewer asylum seekers found | 160 | 70 |
| No secondary migrants found | 6 | 0 |
We found that internal border controls are resulting in more people being refused entry than were deported under MSM. The people refused do not have valid documentation (proof of identity or visa) and/or cannot explain the purpose of their visit. Internal border controls can therefore be more effective at combatting irregular migration than MSM.
Internal border controls have led to fewer arrests than MSM did. The number of arrests for all manner of offences has fallen, including for people smuggling and document fraud. Only the number of people stopped for traffic offences has increased. This suggests that internal border controls are not more effective against cross-border crime than MSM.
Internal border controls found fewer asylum seekers and secondary migrants. The numbers have always been low but have halved since the reintroduction of internal border controls. As shown in figure 2, a total of 44,000 asylum applications were made in the Netherlands in 2024. 400 people (0.9%) were admitted to the asylum system following an MSM or internal border control.
The government reintroduced border controls to combat irregular migration (including asylum seekers) and cross-border crime such as people smuggling and identity fraud. In summary, the initial results of the reintroduction of internal border control indicate that the ambition is not being achieved more quickly than by the previous MSM controls.
Fewer than 1% of asylum seekers admitted following internal border control or MSM
Internal border control is not an instrument against asylum seekers
The government wants internal border control to combat illegal migration and people smuggling and relieve pressure on the asylum system by reducing the number of asylum seekers. However, as soon as someone applies for asylum – at the border control or directly with the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) or the Central Agency for Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) –they are no longer an irregular migrant. They are entitled to remain in the Netherlands in anticipation of the asylum procedure. On several intensifications of MSM controls and the reintroduction of internal border controls, politicians have pointed out in policy papers and memoranda that internal border control is not an instrument against asylum seekers.
KMar staff capacity under pressure
Total expenditure on the KMar in 2024 amounted to €720 million. The KMar was unable to say how much was spent on internal border controls. According to the Minister of A&M, the reintroduction of internal border controls does not have a ‘significant effect’ on the KMar’s other tasks. Based on our investigation, we have no reason to doubt this. In May 2025, the KMar had 1,050 open vacancies. It currently has a staff of more than 7,500 FTEs plus 400 FTE reservists and about 890 cadets. The KMar says – and this is verified by documents – that capacity shortages affect all kinds of its tasks. It cannot say, however, how big the shortages are or what impact they are having.
The 2025 spring memorandum provided additional funding for the intensification of the KMar’s border controls. The additional funds have been recognised on the Minister of Defence’s budget. The Minister of A&M has overall responsibility for the policy. In 2025, an additional €45 million was provided, rising to structural extra funding of €151 million as from 2029. The KMar can use some of this funding to perform overdue maintenance of its internal border systems. It can also use the extra money to recruit an additional 450 border control FTEs by 2029.