Netherlands: Airport procedures tightened
01 January 1991
Netherlands: Airport procedures tightened
artdoc June=1993
The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Defence have urged
the Dutch parliament to highlight the importance of Schiphol
airport `as a future border post of the EC'. Now, in order to
deal directly with asylum applications, the department of Alien
Affairs is opening a new office at Schiphol airport (De
Volkskrant 2.3.93).
Meanwhile, KLM airlines are cooperating with the Ministry of
Defence in plans to send personnel to airports in Nigeria and
Ghana in order to check for `false passports' and `visas' (De
Volkskrant 11.3.93). The Dutch cabinet has also approved
proposals to exclude from all welfare services, such as benefits,
schools and hospitals refugees who illegally stay in Holland
(Volkskrant 20.3.93).
New prison planned
The Home Secretary is considering converting the Koning Willem
II Kazerne in Tilburg, which presently houses the defence
ministry, into a special prison for asylum-seekers without
permission to stay and those deemed `criminals' and awaiting
deportation. Apparently, 150-200 prison cells will be made
available; each cell would hold 6-8 persons (Volkskrant 2.3.93).
Schiphol refugees dispersed
On 2 April, at least five asylum seekers, mainly East Africans,
were removed from the Grenshospitium, the border prison for
refugees at Schiphol airport, to Nieuwersluis, an old military
prison. The Ministry of Justice alleges that the five had
intimidated staff and other refugees at the centre. Shortly
before they were removed, however, asylum-seekers at the centre
had staged a protest against the food and the rigid regime at the
prison.
The refugee support group, Autonoom Centre, say that following
the protest they have been denied access to the asylum seekers
at Grenshospitium. The Justice department has accused them of
stimulating trouble (Volkskrant 11.3.93).
Hunger strike begins
At the start of May, 12 Palestinians and 3 Lebanese asylum
seekers went on hunger strike at the Grenshospitium, in protest
at the differential treatment meted out to refugees. One
Palestinian, who the authorities say hurt himself with a sharp
weapon, was removed to an isolation cell for a day. The day after
the hunger-strike began, a fire broke out at the border-prison.
Now, 25 more asylum-seekers have been transferred to Niewershuis.
(Het Parool 7.5.93, Volkskrant 8.5.93).
Union of Ethiopians protest deportation
The first asylum-seeker from Ethiopia, a woman who made an
application in August 1991, has been deported on the grounds that
the situation in Ethiopia, following the fall of Mengistu, is now
safe. The Union of Ethiopians has protested the decision whilst
the Ministry of Justice says that although they consider the
situation in many of the regions of Ethiopia safe, each asylum
application will be dealt with on its own merits (De Volkskrant
22.3.93).
IRR European Race Audit no 4 1993. Contact: Liz Fekete, Institute
of Race Relations, 2-6 Leeke Street, London WC1X 9HS. Tel: ++ 071
837 0041