The Dutch lower house of parliament approved plans today to expel up to 26,000 failed asylum seekers in a move that won praise from the far-right but sparked protests and threats of hunger strikes.
The plans, which still have to be endorsed by parliament's upper house, would force the failed applicants, many of whom have lived in the Netherlands for years, to leave over three years, while some 2,300 others would be granted amnesty.
"Some of these people probably learned Dutch, they will have children who were born there and grew up being Dutch. To then push them out of what has become their own country is a monstrosity," the Society for Threatened Peoples said.
The asylum overhaul in the Netherlands, where the anti-immigration party of murdered populist Pim Fortuyn swept into a short-lived coalition in 2002, will allow the expulsion of failed applicants if they do not leave of their own accord.
Dutch refugee groups staged a mass demonstration outside parliament in The Hague last week against the expulsions and failed asylum seekers have threatened to go on hunger strike. French far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen welcomed the move.
"This proves that good sense is starting to prevail among European governments," Mr Le Pen said.
"These are people who do not fulfil the conditions required by law to stay on the national territory. Well, what else can you do but ask them to go home or go elsewhere?"
Immigration has been a hot topic across Europe in recent years, with far-right parties winning votes in countries from France to Austria, putting pressure on more mainstream politicians to introduce tougher policies.