Little result, but border controls extended by six months

He wrote this in a letter to the House of Representatives. The border controls began in December 2024 and were a priority for then-Minister Faber. This summer, the controls were already extended by six months, despite a highly critical report from the Court of Audit. Now, they are being extended again.

In June, the Court of Audit already concluded that border controls are ineffective and do not lead to less migration. Moreover, the government was supposedly aware of this in advance.

That few people are stopped at the border is undeniable. From December 2024 to September 2025, a staggering 123,320 people were checked at the borders, and only 470 foreigners were denied entry. That's 0.38 percent of the total number of people checked.

In addition, 230 people were arrested during the checks, for instance for human trafficking, traffic offenses, or drug offenses. While this sounds like a gain, the Court of Audit also concluded that more people were arrested during the regular checks conducted before border controls were introduced. This is because the previous mobile checks were much more targeted.

The figures also show that the influx of asylum seekers into the Netherlands fell by 38 percent (13,920) in the first eight months of this year compared to the same period a year earlier. Significantly fewer migrants are also being detected at the EU's external borders. "It is plausible that external factors, such as the changing situations in countries of origin, particularly Syria, have led to a decline in asylum influx," writes Van Weel.

Nevertheless, border controls are being extended because the pressure on the migration system in the Netherlands remains very high. This would create an "increased threat to public order." The minister admits that it is difficult to determine whether border controls actually result in fewer migrants. However, it cannot be ruled out.

"It's very difficult to say that this effect exists. But you can't say it doesn't exist either," says Van Weel.

Ten EU countries have now introduced internal border controls. According to the minister, it is "conceivable" that these have a preventative effect on the number of migrants coming to the EU. "The Dutch internal border controls could therefore be part of the approach to combating irregular migration and human trafficking."

The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, the service that carries out the checks, is also hesitant to comment on whether the checks have a deterrent effect. "I haven't measured that. I don't know if it has a deterrent effect," says Jos Pieters of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee. "What you do see is that if you increase the enforcement pressure, it leads to more checks."

Migration is also a major issue in Germany, and the Germans have reintroduced border controls. Correspondent Jeroen Akkermans takes a look at the Polish-German border: