"Hundreds of nationalist demonstrators marched through The Hague on Saturday, demanding tougher asylum rules amid growing political tensions over immigration. Footage shows protesters carrying Dutch flags, lighting flares and chanting as they moved through the city centre, while police made several arrests. 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'. "People cannot pay for food. They cannot pay for the electricity, for the heating in the house. It’s enough. They don’t get any houses anymore. It’s too crowded," one demonstrator said. “We feel in a prison in our own country now.” “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 comes as the Party for Freedom (PVV) continues to push for what it calls 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 risk breaching international treaties, arguing that the pressure on the asylum system stems from long-standing structural issues rather than an acute emergency."