Senate considers bill scrapping penalty payments in asylum cases
The Senate debated the bill on Tuesday, but the official result had not yet been published when checked.
There is news on this story (Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 22:58): Senate abolishes court-imposed penalty payments in asylum cases
Follow-up to: Senate discusses abolishing asylum penalty payments Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 11:28
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The Senate considered the Return and Immigration Detention Act and its accompanying amendment bill on Tuesday. Public parliamentary information scheduled a roll-call vote for Tuesday evening, but an official result could not be verified for this edition.
The debate concerned two bills that have been before parliament for years. The Senate had scheduled the plenary debate for 13 October, with a vote expected to take place at around 8.30 pm according to the agenda.
The package includes scrapping judicial penalty payments when the Immigration and Naturalisation Service decides too late on an asylum application. The Lower House passed the amendment bill on 4 June.
The arrangement is politically controversial. Supporters believe the government should no longer automatically pay money when procedures are delayed. Opponents see the penalty payment as a financial incentive to comply with decision deadlines and as a form of legal protection against a slow government.
VluchtelingenWerk Nederland previously warned that removing the penalty payment could affect asylum seekers and the rule of law. The organisation says other measures are needed to prevent applicants from waiting a long time for a decision.
The public sources available for this edition confirm the debate and the scheduled vote, but not yet the outcome or the date on which the changes might enter into force. This article therefore does not describe a final decision.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The Senate considered the Return and Immigration Detention Act and an amendment bill on 13 October.
- The package includes a proposal to abolish judicial penalty payments for late asylum decisions.
- Public sources confirm the scheduled vote, but not the result or entry into force.
Left
Arguments The penalty payment is a necessary safeguard against a government that decides too late. Abolishing it could weaken the position of asylum seekers without removing their waiting time.
Values Legal protection, human dignity and oversight of government.
Consequences More prolonged uncertainty for applicants and less financial pressure on the IND to meet deadlines.
Centre
Arguments A reform can only be responsible if the IND is simultaneously given sufficient capacity, clear deadlines and independent oversight. The aim should be timely decision-making, not merely lower expenditure.
Values Practical implementation, legal certainty and administrative responsibility.
Consequences An alternative oversight and complaints system would be needed to compensate for the loss of the financial incentive.
Right
Arguments The government should not make structural payments to people because procedures overrun; that money would be better spent on faster processing and returns. The bill should give the IND room to make the system manageable.
Values Control over migration, efficiency and protection of taxpayers’ money.
Consequences Lower costs for penalty payments, although the effect will depend on whether the IND actually clears the backlog.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
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The debate and scheduled vote have been confirmed by the Senate. The text makes no unconfirmed statement about the final voting result.
- confirmed The Senate considered the bills on 13 October 2026. — The official agenda and dossier page list the plenary debate on that date. source
- confirmed The bill includes scrapping judicial penalty payments for late decisions in asylum cases. — The Dutch government explicitly describes this part of the bill. source
- confirmed The official result was not available in the public parliamentary information consulted. — The agenda and dossier page consulted show the debate and planning, but no result. source
Editor's note
The debate and scheduled vote have been officially confirmed. The result and any entry into force were not yet publicly verifiable; this article is therefore limited and marked as insufficient_sources.Sources
- Agenda Eerste Kamer dinsdag 13 oktober 2026 — Eerste Kamer
- Novelle Wet terugkeer en vreemdelingenbewaring — Eerste Kamer
- Tweede Kamer stemt in met wetsvoorstel terugkeer en vreemdelingenbewaring — Rijksoverheid
- Afschaffen dwangsommen raakt asielzoekers én rechtsstaat — VluchtelingenWerk Nederland
The story so far
- Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 11:28 Senate discusses abolishing asylum penalty payments
- Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 22:00 Senate considers bill scrapping penalty payments in asylum cases (this article)
- Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 22:58 Senate abolishes court-imposed penalty payments in asylum cases