PHILIPSBURG:--- MP Ardwell Irion has urged the government to consider placing officers near the border at selected times, saying a visible presence could deter criminals who expect to escape to the French side after committing an offense on the Dutch side.
Irion made clear that he was not proposing routine checks of every vehicle or a closed border. “I’m not saying border control, stopping all vehicles,” he told Parliament. He asked instead whether officers could maintain a physical presence at particular times so that a person contemplating a crime would know the route out might be watched.
The MP questioned Justice Minister Nathalie Tackling about her discussions with French-side counterparts. He wanted to know what information the two sides share, what support French authorities have offered, and whether they are working together on suspects who cross the border.
“We are starting to subsidize crime from the other side,” Irion said, expressing his concern about the cross-border dimension of local crime. He did not provide figures establishing where suspects live or how many crimes involve a crossing.
Irion also warned against relying solely on reported-crime statistics. Residents are experiencing chain snatchings and hold-ups, he said, while some victims have become too discouraged to file reports. Those remarks describe concerns he has heard; the parliamentary transcript does not establish the scale of unreported crime.
He called for a government-wide plan, saying Justice cannot address the problem alone. Irion asked Tackling and the ministers responsible for other parts of traffic and public safety to present concrete measures, and said the coming budget debate should show how those measures would be supported.
Tackling has since told Parliament that she has requested assistance from the Marines and the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee and that a response to crime must also address pressures within households and communities. In the transcripts provided, however, she did not set out a decision on Irion’s proposed border presence or give details of any agreement with French-side authorities. Those questions remain unanswered.