The second day of debate on the government’s plans for the coming year erupted in chaos on Thursday evening, after documents showed civil servants from several ministries had warned against declaring an “asylum crisis” on legal grounds.

Nevertheless, the cabinet is determined to press ahead with the plan, which would allow ministers to bypass parliament and the senate in bringing in emergency legislation.

Earlier in the afternoon, prime minister Dick Schoof agreed to hand over supporting evidence for the plan, much of which had been redacted, to opposition MPs’ fury.

A new batch of documents, without the blacked out pages, showed in detail that civil servants believe declaring an emergency would not stand up in court because there are no special circumstances to merit it.

Insiders say the chaos highlights the deep divisions and lack of trust between the four parties that form the new coalition. In particular, the PVV, the VVD and BBB are angry that the NSC, the fourth coalition party, sided with the opposition and called for the documents to be published.

VVD leader Dilan Yesilgöz later also criticised asylum minister Marjolein Faber on social media.

“We have agreed to reduce the number of refugees,” she said. “Emergency legislation or fast track legislation: both should have already been worked out by minister Faber. Go and do both as quickly as you can… and make sure it is sound legislation which will actually work.”

“The differences of opinion within this cabinet, and particularly between the PVV and NSC, are enormous,” said NOS correspondent Xander van der Wulp. “This is a question which can endanger the continuation of this young cabinet for some time because the relationships are extremely bad.”

“The right-wing coalition and the right-wing cabinet are staggering on, surrounded by political uncertainties,” said RTL commentator Fons Lambie.

Opposition MPs drew up a motion calling on the government to implement fast-track legislation to bring in new measures to control asylum, rather than to declare an emergency and so bypass parliament, but it failed to win enough votes.

Other aspects of the government’s 2025 spending plans were also discussed, and the cabinet has agreed to look again at the decision to increase value added tax on sports.