Dutch Christian Democrat MP Mirjam Sterk has said Roma people should be deported from the Netherlands, reports the AD newspaper. Her comments follow the recent commotion in France after hundreds of Roma were put on planes and ‘repatriated’ to Romania and Bulgaria where many originally came from.  

Members of the Roma community in the Netherlands have been shocked by the news, according to the paper, and fear mass deportations like the ones seen in France. 

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has taken a tough stand against Roma groups because of the alleged nuisance they cause. Roma camps have been dismantled and people put on planes to Romania and Bulgaria. The policy has been fiercely criticised by the international community. 

In AD, Ms Sterk says, “This group causes a lot of nuisance in many Dutch towns. I can imagine they would rather get rid of them. If these people are not employed, sending them back is a good approach.” 

After 2014, Roma people will no longer required to have a work permit to live and work in the Netherlands. Many Christian Democrats see this as a reason to deal with the situation before that date. 

A spokesperson for the national Dutch Roma platform told the paper she is shocked by the comments and had not expected such a stance from a Christian party.

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