Dutch King's Speech Highlights Government's Migration Dilemma Amid Coalition Tensions

The Dutch king's upcoming speech will outline the new government's plans, which include drastic migration cuts, amid tensions within the hard-right coalition. The speech, written by the government, sets the legislative agenda for the year. Monday saw intra-coalition conflicts and asylum seekers facing accommodation issues.

The Dutch king's speech on Tuesday will present the new government's plans for the year, amid intra-coalition tensions over severe migration cuts.

The event, marked by royal pageantry in The Hague, is also the first significant test for a technocratic government formed by right-wing parties following last year's elections.

King Willem-Alexander's address to the Dutch parliament, crafted by the government, will lay out the legislative agenda and budget for the upcoming year.

On Monday, coalition member Nicolien van Vroonhoven opposed the immigration plans, spurring reactions from Geert Wilders' anti-immigration Party for Freedom and the conservative People's Party for Freedom and Democracy.

This dispute highlights the coalition's fragility, formed after extensive negotiations, with Prime Minister Dick Schoof leading a cabinet of politicians and civil servants as Wilders was deemed too controversial.

While the government works on reducing immigration, an asylum accommodation crisis emerged in the northern town of Ter Apel, where asylum seekers had to be housed in a sports hall.

Ter Apel's mayor, Jaap Velema, accused the responsible minister Margriet Faber of neglecting her duties in managing asylum accommodations.

The government plans to declare an "asylum crisis" to implement tougher measures, including limiting visas for asylum seekers' families and expediting deportations.

The plans also include seeking an opt-out from EU migration rules and increasing border checks, akin to recent measures by Germany. The enforceability of these plans remains uncertain.

(With inputs from agencies.)