Column: “Are we playing with human suffering?”

How strict can asylum policy become before we forget that we are talking about human lives?

You see it regularly on television. People fleeing their countries. People making the crossing by boat. People leaving everything behind because they hope to find a safer life somewhere else.

It affects me.

Especially when I see how many people lose their lives during this dangerous journey. Then I ask myself: how does it get to this point? How can a person be driven so far that they are willing to risk their life for a chance at a better life?

But then I look at the Netherlands. And I see something else. People here are under pressure too.

A young person who has been searching for an affordable home for years. A family that has to calculate every month just to make ends meet. An older person wondering whether their income is still enough as costs continue to rise. People who work, who do their best, but still find themselves asking: how long can I keep this up?

For many people, the future feels increasingly uncertain. And that is where the dilemma lies for me.

On the one hand, there is the asylum seeker seeking protection and not knowing what the future holds.

On the other hand, there is the Dutch citizen asking: can I still afford my rent or mortgage? Will my child be able to find a home one day? Can I still afford my groceries? What will my future look like?

The issue affects both sides.

One person is looking for safety. The other is looking for security. And that is where the dilemma begins. I think we sometimes forget that. When we talk about asylum seekers, we often talk about numbers, places in shelters, housing and costs. But behind those numbers are people.

The asylum seeker is a human being. But so is the Dutch citizen. That is why I think it is important that we do not turn against each other.

It is too easy to say that all of the problems in the Netherlands are caused by asylum seekers. The housing shortage and rising costs have multiple causes. But it is also too easy to dismiss the concerns of Dutch citizens as intolerance when they ask questions about how many people the Netherlands can accommodate. Those concerns exist. And they need to be heard.

Because what happens when people feel that their own problems are no longer being seen?

Frustration grows. And frustration can turn people against each other. The Netherlands therefore needs clear boundaries and clear policies. People who need protection should know where they stand. But people who have no right to remain should not be left in uncertainty for years either. Because that is also human suffering. When procedures take too long, shelters become overcrowded and people spend years not knowing what their future holds, it affects more than just the asylum seeker.

Dutch society feels the consequences too. A municipality that has to look for accommodation while there are already hardly any homes available for local residents. A young person who has been on a waiting list for years. A family wondering whether it is still possible to remain in the neighbourhood they call home. And increasingly, the same question comes up: “We need to help people in need. But who is looki