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Holland: secret list

01 January 1991

Holland: secret list
artdoc June=1992

The Dutch Ministry of Justice has a confidential internal list
of countries to which asylum seekers can be returned without
problems. The existence of such a list has been denied by a
ministry spokesperson, but there is a clear mention of it in
recent confidential minutes of a meeting of officials. It is not
known which countries are on the list. The minutes say that there
is an `internal' list of countries to which refugees can be
returned, but no references to this list are to be made in the
official order. The minutes further indicate that almost all
asylum seekers are only offered a `tolerated status' even when
the asylum seeker has a strong case. `Tolerated status' means
that in the first three years, whenever the government decides
that the situation in the country of origin has improved, the
refugee can be expelled.
On the basis of new regulations that came into force last
January, almost half the asylum seekers will be detained in new
half-closed relief centres. These are centres surrounded by a
fence where the asylum seeker is supplied with a magnetic
identity card. He or she has to report twice daily and there is
a guarded entrance. According to secretary of Justice Kosto the
refugees are allowed to leave at any time, but only in one
direction: out of the country.
The ministry of Justice wants to tackle the problem of illegal
immigrants travelling to Holland on forged travel documents in
the country of origin. Dutch marechaussees (military police) will
soon begin advising the local authorities in Ghana and Nigeria
on recognizing forged documents. The marechaussees will not be
stationed in Africa permanently, but they will accompany people
who are expelled from Holland and subsequently stay for some days
to work on their new task. The project is expected to start this
summer. Refugee organizations have severely criticized the plan
because `real' asylum seekers often have no access to legitimate
travel documents.

Statewatch, vol 2, no 3, May-June 1992
Europe Racism