The leader of the small Christian party ChristenUnie is threatening to withdraw his support for various government reform plans if ministers press ahead with making it a criminal offence to be in the Netherlands without proper paperwork.

Arie Slob, whose party has five seats in parliament, told television show Een op Een on Monday night that if ministers go ahead with the idea ‘that means we will not make any more agreements like we have done already’.

The government does not control the upper house of parliament and is relying on deals with the D66 Liberals and two small Christian parties to ensure majority support. These have included agreements on the housing market and pension reform.

Sweet and sour

ChristenUnie has always been opposed to criminalising people considered to be illegal immigrants. Slob told the show he was particularly irritated by statements made by junior justice minister Fred Teeven.

Teeven recently described the impending change in the law as the ‘sour’ which followed the ‘sweet’ – the amnesty for children of illegal immigrants who have lived in the country for at least eight years.

The draft legislation is unlikely to be finished before the summer.

Cabinet in trouble?

The coalition is made up of the right-wing VVD Liberals and the Labour party PvdA. A large majority of PvdA MPs are also opposed to the plans to classify illegal immigrants as criminals and the issue has caused strong divisions within the party.

Nos correspondent Joost Vullings said if ChristenUnie carries out its threat, the cabinet cannot go any further.

‘This is a principle ChristenUnie issue and they are making their position plain,’ he said. ‘In addition, the forthcoming elections will probably play a role as well.’