The Netherlands should adopt an asylum system where refugees must request asylum outside the European borders, D66 leader Rob Jetten told the AD on Monday, in a sharp change of position for the Liberal democratic party.

Jetten, who was speaking ahead of key political talks on asylum reform, said it is time for centrist parties to take the lead on the issue and stop the cycle of political deadlock that has already brought down two Dutch governments.

A Canadian-style system would give the government more control over migration and avoid deaths on people smuggling routes, he said. People who come to the Netherlands without an asylum request would then no longer be admitted.

“Too many people are dying on smuggling routes every year, and we’ve been going round in circles for years without results,” he said. “That is bad news for people experiencing nuisance caused by people who have no business being here. But it is also bad news for people stuck in endless procedures or who have to make dangerous journeys in boats across the Mediterranean.”

The shift marks a significant change for D66, which has long been cautious about changing international treaties like the 1951 Refugee Convention.

It is now up to the middle parties to “take a step forward”, the AD quoted Jetten as saying. “There have been years of discussion about better asylum rules with little result. The left and the right are digging in their heels and we are not progressing.

Jetten said he wants to avoid another cabinet from foundering over asylum rules and said the middle parties must reclaim the issue instead of Geert Wilders “dominating the debate”.

The current Dutch government fell after Geert Wilders, leader of the far right PVV, stepped out of the coalition after failing to have his own way over asylum. In 2023, the government, which included D66, also collapsed over the issue.

Jetten said he also wants to see faster support for recognised refugees, including compulsory language lessons from day one and a push to help them into work. “We’ll be scrapping a number of unnecessary rules and will come with a legislative proposal soon,” he said.

“It doesn’t help anyone if we keep people stuck on benefits for years. It’s bad for their sense of purpose and it frustrates Dutch people who wonder why nothing changes.”