Published: 13.10.2026
The Dutch Senate approved the Return and Immigration Detention Act. The law allows authorities to compel certain foreign nationals without a right to stay to cooperate with return procedures; refusal may lead to up to three months in prison or a fine. It also broadens the grounds for declaring disruptive offenders undesirable and abolishes judicial penalties for delayed IND decisions.
According to the government source, the law strengthens state powers over people who have been denied the right to stay or who cause serious disruption. For those individuals, attending return interviews and embassy procedures becomes more consequential, while an undesirable-person designation can require immediate departure and bar re-entry. The change is especially relevant to refused applicants and foreign nationals convicted of or involved in disruptive offences in the Netherlands. It does not directly change visa or residence-permit requirements for ordinary lawful relocation, but it matters greatly when a person loses their right to stay.