As US authorities ramp up arrests, detentions, and deportations of migrants under new orders backed by Donald Trump, fears are growing that a renewed wave of anti-migrant measures is taking root across the Atlantic as well.

In recent weeks, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has conducted large-scale raids  in various cities detaining hundreds of undocumented migrants.

These developments in the US have drawn concern among European migrant communities, particularly in the Netherlands, where the lower house of parliament (Tweede Kamer) passed two controversial pieces of legislation on July 3: the Asylum Emergency Measures Act and the Two-Status System Act.

“Migrante Netherlands strongly condemns the recent passage of these bills,” the Filipino migrant organization said in a public statement. “These measures will escalate the criminalization of migration and the erosion of refugee rights. It signals the full embrace of the far-right agenda at the heart of the Dutch state.”

The group warns that the proposed laws would trap thousands in legal limbo and force many deeper into precarity. “This includes Filipino migrants who were pushed to migrate due to systemic poverty, joblessness, and repression in the Philippines,” the statement continued. “Many of us are in the Netherlands not by choice, but as a result of crisis.”

Under the proposed two-status system, refugees fleeing general violence, war, or natural disasters would be given only temporary residence, limited rights, and be expected to return as soon as their home countries are deemed safe.

The changes also impose strict caps on post-travel family reunification, limiting the number of family members eligible for reunification.

The group also called out the Philippine government for its role in sustaining labor migration while failing to protect migrant workers abroad. “Despite billions in remittances sent home by Overseas Filipino Workers, the Marcos Jr. administration has failed to provide adequate support or legal protection. Its silence on this matter is a betrayal.”

Migrante Netherlands has called on the Philippine Embassy in The Hague to provide legal assistance and support to Filipino migrants affected by the bills, including undocumented individuals. They are also urging Dutch allies to speak out against the legislation and support efforts to defend migrants’ rights.