State Secretary for Asylum Eric van der Burg is under intense pressure now that the court has lifted travel restrictions in relation to family reunification. The government wanted to make it more difficult for asylum seekers’ families to enter the Netherlands, but according to the court, there is no legal basis for this.
Van der Burg had already been warned several times about the travel restriction, introduced as part of the asylum deal within the ruling coalition. “It’s amazing that it’s come to this. Lawyers have already said that this travel restriction in relation to family reunification is not possible. Officials said in their counsel that this would not hold up in court and Secretary of State Van der Burg refused to seek advice from the Council of State, and the House also barred a course of action from that top legal advisory body “, says political journalist Leendert Beckmann.
“Shameful” state of affairs.
Beekman calls the course of events “shameful” for Van der Burg. “This travel restriction in relation to family reunification would apply for up to fifteen months. They hoped going to court would take so long that the temporary restriction would end. It didn’t happen.’ At the Vvd, however, they still hope that the ban on family reunification will be maintained, despite the court ruling. “VVD deputy Ruben Brekelmans points out that the sentence concerns a specific case, as far as he is concerned, such a measure is still valid in a general sense,” says the political journalist.
During question time in the House of Representatives, the parliament is hoping for a statement from Van der Burg. GroenLinks MP Suzanne Kröger also points out that “we were repeatedly warned” that the measure had “no legal basis”. Yet this ugly political deal has gone through. (…). We want the Secretary of State to suspend this agreement and this measure. It cannot be that you convey your failure in this shelter to people who have recognized refugee status’.
Fear of toilet ‘tricks’
Kröger fears that the cabinet will try to maintain the measure with the help of tricks. “I’m afraid the toilet will delay and stop. This will cost hundreds of people. This may amount to 5,400 people in total,’ says the Member of Parliament.
He also sees that trust in politicians has been further damaged by the ruling. ‘This also affects people’s trust in politics. It is mismanagement if you propose a measure that you already know will not stand up legally. What are you doing then? Then people really have less faith that the problems will be dealt with in The Hague,’ says Kröger.
Source: BNR
Fernando Dowling is an author and political journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. He has a deep understanding of the political landscape and a passion for analyzing the latest political trends and news.
