Protesters carried Dutch flags, lit flares and chanted as they moved through the city centre, while police made several arrests.

Hundreds of nationalist demonstrators marched through The Hague on Saturday November 29,2025 demanding tougher asylum rules amid growing political tensions over immigration.

A number of participants were seen dressed as Zwarte Piet ('Black Piet'), a character widely criticised for its blackface depiction and condemned by many in the Netherlands as 'racist'.

“If you say something similar about foreigners, you are immediately a fascist. So yes, that’s also what bothers us. Immigration is not so bad when there is the occasional foreigner to the extent that they behave, of course. But when it’s that many people, it just becomes a threat,” added another.

The rally took place as the Party for Freedom (PVV) continued it push for what it called the 'strictest asylum rules ever', following months of political turmoil. Tensions peaked in June 2025 when the PVV’s withdrawal triggered the collapse of the four-party coalition, leaving the government in caretaker mode ahead of October’s election.

Since then, the outgoing administration has advanced an 'Asylum Emergency Measures Act' aimed at capping asylum numbers, restricting family reunification and shortening temporary residency permits. Ministers have said the measures are designed to make the Netherlands 'unattractive' for asylum seekers, though protesters claim the policies are not being properly enforced.

Legal experts and the Council of State have warned that several provisions risked the breach of international treaties.

They argued that the pressure on the asylum system was a result from long-standing structural issues rather than an acute emergency.