Green Left will submit a motion during today's debate on the Immigration and Asylum budget to allow unaccompanied underage asylum seekers (AMAs) who have been in the Netherlands for some time to remain in the country. The legislation would affect an estimated 1,000 AMAs.
Green Left MP Tofik Dibi: “I am calling for a children’s pardon. These young people have a bond with the Netherlands and not with their country of birth, where they do not even speak the language. And we need them with a view to the aging population.”
He also points out that Christian Democrat members urged their own Asylum and Immigration Minister Gerd Leers to adopt a more humane asylum policy recently at a party congress. The MP accuses the minister of dragging his feet on the issue.
At the end of last month, the case of 18-year-old Mauro Manuel was discussed in parliament. His request for a permanent residence permit was rejected by the minister, but he can apply for a visa to remain in the Netherlands to study. The case caught the attention of the nation and dominated the newspapers and Twitter topics for a while.
(nc/imm)
© Radio Netherlands Worldwide
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