The assumption you're making that the netherlands couldn't or wouldn't do something similar is interesting. I don't know, maybe they wouldn't. France certainly would. Where is the border around "real EU, and thus incapable of atrocity" you're drawing?

I'm pretty sure they would. We have a pretty strong anti-immigrant movement here and if what happened at the IND and the tax office is any guidance I highly doubt our coastguard would be immune.

I believe so too. It's a neat arrangement for the northern countries that get to keep their hands clean and humanitarian reputations intact because places like greece and italy do it for them.

But if they had to do it they would. The same attitudes and dynamics that allow this to happen in southern europe are also in place in northern europe.

It's a textbook case of externalization. For the Northern countries it turns into a line item in the budget, otherwise they can pretend the problem isn't theirs.

The EU is very much complacent with the current situation. There will be condemnation, but administrations across EU are very happy for having offloaded the dirty work to Greece and Italy.

And funny that you mention the Netherlands, because the Dutch government just resigned because the PM could not pass legislation to further restrict the number of asylum-seekers [1]. If Rutte is so hell-bent for that kind legislation while 2.000km away from the epicenter of the problem, one cannot imagine he would be the paragon of humanism, were the Netherlands closer to it.

[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66139789