Ruben Braegelmans (VVD): ‘Something concrete has to be done’

Ruben Bregelmans (37). The boy who comes In VVD. He wants agreements on asylum policy with the PVV, he says EW. ‘It may be necessary to come up with solutions with Geert Wilders. The party should discuss this matter’, he said.

After the fall of the Rutte IV cabinet, VVD MP Reuben Bregelmans (37) clashed with Christianuni colleague Dan Ceder. He said the VVD had abandoned the cabinet because of the small number of family reunifications. In conversation with EW Breckelmans responds to these accusations and articulates the VVD’s view of migration.
Brekelmans: ‘The VVD program will soon lead to fewer family members. A few thousand less than the current 10,000 per year.

There was also a long-term effect. Each year, around 20,000 asylum seekers are now granted ‘subsidiary protection’ status. They can bring family members. If we set the conditions for this, the Netherlands would be less than half an attractive destination for immigrants. Less than half of that – many tens of thousands – will come in, because they’ll go elsewhere.

Ruben Brekelmans: The current asylum policy is ineffective, bankrupt and inhumane

ChristenUnie accused the VVD of lacking a moral compass. Did it contribute to the decline? This stunned VVD members, Bregelmans says: ‘Because it’s not really true. The current asylum system is not only ineffective and bankrupt, but also inhumane. It invites people to take the risk of drowning in the Mediterranean Sea. We have no control over the numbers, which is why asylum seekers are lying in sports halls and lawns. The whole situation is inhumane.

The next question is how to solve this. We differ with Christine Uni on this, but it is not a moral matter. We would rather have fewer asylum seekers than bring a large number of asylum seekers here, because then the situation of asylum seekers would worsen and everyone would suffer.’

Ruben Bregelmans (1986) grew up in Kaatsheuvel, lives in Oisterwijk. Educated in Tilburg, worked at Boston Consulting Group
Ministry of Justice. VVD Member of Parliament from 2021.

Two years ago, Bregelmans was the VVD’s 30th in the House of Representatives. He was allowed to speak on foreign affairs and was granted asylum and immigration. The irony is that political agreement on foreign policy is greater than ever, while polarization on asylum and migration is reaching new heights.

The VVD member previously served as Project Director of Flexibilization Asylum Chain at the Ministry of Justice. After studying economics, he worked as a consultant. During his post-graduate studies at Harvard University, he wrote on the website EW. One of his excerpts about his experience on the Democratic campaign trail in New Hampshire in 2014: “People are tired of politics,” he noted from the US. Does this also apply in the Netherlands? Not as bad as America. But here too people are done with political games, petty fights and cheap slogans. For example, they want substantive discussions about the influx of immigrants.

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