The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (RNLM) stands guard over the security of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, including the Netherlands’ territories in the Caribbean. It is deployed globally at locations of strategic importance, from royal palaces to the European Union (EU) external borders, and from airports in the Netherlands and the Caribbean to theatres of war and crisis areas all over the world.

The RNLM has 3 core tasks:

1. border control tasks;

2. security and surveillance;

3. international and military police tasks.

1. Border police

RNLM personnel check persons crossing the border and combats cross-border crime at all locations where it is in the interests of the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, that means guarding the European external border at airports, seaports and along the coast. It also carries out Mobile Security Monitoring at internal borders within the Schengen area. By participating in Frontex, the European border control agency, the RNLM makes an important contribution to the control of Europe’s external borders in other EU member states.

RNLM criminal investigators investigate criminal offences that come to light during the performance of the border police task. They investigate, for instance, criminal organisations which are involved in people smuggling and human trafficking. RNLM migration control dogs assist in finding concealed persons (stowaways) in, for example, trucks and buses crossing the border.

2. Security and surveillance  

The RNLM protects important objects and people. The High Risk Security platoons guard and protect the objects in the Netherlands that carry an increased risk of attacks. The RNLM also protects civil aviation against terrorism, drugs trafficking and people smuggling. Guard dogs help in protecting objects, buildings, airports, and military sites and vehicles.

3. International and military police tasks

The RNLM acts as a police force for all Defence elements. For that reason, RNLM brigades and posts are stationed at barracks, military air bases and naval ports, as well as with units of the Netherlands armed forces abroad.
The RNLM also serves as a police organisation for all foreign armed forces stationed in the Netherlands and RNLM personnel are posted to various international military headquarters.

The website: www.defensie.nl/organisatie/marechaussee