The Dutch government has collapsed after far-right leader Geert Wilders pulled his Party for Freedom out of the ruling coalition over disagreements on migration policy.

Prime Minister Dick Schoof confirmed on Tuesday that he would step down and offer the cabinet's resignation to King Willem-Alexander by the end of the day.

The move capped a dramatic day in Hague, where Wilders’ announcement brought down the fragile coalition months after it was formed.

Schoof said he would submit the resignations of Wilders’ ministers and continue in a caretaker role alongside the remaining cabinet.

No date for new elections has been set, but one is unlikely before autumn.

The Netherlands will operate under a caretaker government when it hosts a NATO summit in three weeks.

Schoof, a veteran civil servant appointed by Wilders to lead the government last year, warned coalition leaders that dissolving the cabinet would be “unnecessary and irresponsible” given the national and international challenges at hand. “We need decisiveness now more than ever,” he said.

Wilders announced his decision on X after a short meeting with coalition partners.

Frustrated by the lack of progress on migration, he accused the government of failing to act on his strict asylum demands. “I signed up for the toughest asylum policy, not the downfall of the Netherlands,” he said.

His proposed 10-point plan—calling for army-guarded borders and the refusal of all asylum-seekers—was rejected by coalition partners.

Dilan Yesilgoz, leader of the right-wing People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, called his exit “super-irresponsible,” adding, “We face enormous international challenges, including war in Europe and an economic crisis.”

Despite winning the last election on anti-migration promises, Wilders found little success pushing them through the divided coalition.

After Schoof formally presents his resignation to Dutch King Willem-Alexander, the head of state, a new election is expected to be called.

It is unlikely that the vote will be held before mid-October, based on previous election cycles.

Wilders' PVV won the last election in November 2023 with a wide margin of 23 per cent of the vote. Polls indicate he has lost some support since then, to about 20 per cent, at par with the Labour/Green combination, the second-largest in Parliament.

Wilders did not emerge as a likely winner of the previous election until a few days before that vote, and other right-wing parties that enjoyed sudden success in recent years have seen their gains disappear as quickly as they came.

Schoof has already said that he and the remaining ministers of the other three coalition parties will stay in their positions to form a caretaker government until a new government is formed after an election.

In the fragmented Dutch political landscape it usually takes months for a coalition to form.

"As caretaker government we will do all we can in the interest of the people in this country, within the room granted to us by parliament. We have decisions to take that do not bear any delay," the outgoing prime minister said.

In the coming days parliament is expected to set out which disputed topics the caretaker government cannot deal with and which they can still make decisions about. The Netherlands is expected to continue its political and military assistance to Ukraine as this enjoys wide political support.