Dutchman Geert Wilders, leader of the anti-immigration party PVV, has staged a protest against the opening of borders for Romanian and Bulgarian workers.

Taking place yesterday (September 9), the protest saw Wilders visit the Romanian Embassy in The Hague, writes Nltimes.nl.

Carrying a traffic sign that said ‘no access’ in Dutch and Romanian, Wilders handed the Embassy a letter expressing his concern on the arrival of Romanians and Bulgarians, who will be free to work without restrictions on the Dutch market starting January 1, 2014.

The PVV leader was received at the Embassy and, after the meeting, he said he was “received well” and that the Romanians “had listened to him,” according to NLtimes.nl.

Geert Wilders also added that the Dutch population is more than worried, some three quarters fearing immigration would increase crime and put more pressure on the Dutch labor market.

Commenting on the PVV protest at the Romanian Embassy, Dutch liberal party VVD’s leader for the European elections Hans van Baalen said: “I was actually almost expecting the slogan ‘Romanians out’. This is absolutely not the way how we should treat each other in Europe.”

He also added that Wilders insulted Romanians and that he did not understand  economic growth helps both Dutch and Romanians in Europe, writes Nltimes.nl.

The anti-immigration party PVV - Party for Freedom is a right-wing political party in the Netherlands.

In 2012, the party launched a website meant for receiving complaints about Central and East European immigrants in the Netherlands. The website caused a lot of controversy within the European Union.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Sxc.hu)