Netherlands: Asylum and immigration (4)
01 January 1991
Netherlands: Asylum and immigration
artdoc November=1995
Deportations of Gypsies from eastern Europe
Twenty-five Romany families, mostly from the former Yugoslavia,
have lost appeals against the refusal of the government to grant
them asylum and have been issued with orders to leave the
country.
Fighting broke out and caravans belonging to the Romany were
confiscated when the police came to the Westelijk Havengebeid
camp where the families live in Amsterdam. Only one family,
whose daughter is in hospital owing to kidney failure, has been
allowed to stay, Three children have been placed in a children's
home as their parents have disappeared. So far, 16 families have
left the country and returned to Macedonia voluntarily. One
family arrested was deported to Croatia in what seems to have
been an attempt to set an example and frighten other families who
refuse to leave Holland voluntarily (De Volkskrant 3, 8.2.95).
Labour and other left-oriented parties have raised fears
that the government's list of safe countries will mean that
Gypsies as well as homosexuals from eastern Europe will be sent
back to their country of persecution. Bulgaria, Hungary,
Romania, Poland, Slovakia, Senegal and Ghana are all on the "safe
countries" list (Het Parool 8.2.95).
Asylum campaigns
Turkish-Kurdish hunger strike successful
Five Turkish-Kurdish refugees called an end to their hunger
strike and were taken to hospital after the government assured
them that they would be granted refugee status (De Volkskrant
4.1.95).
Zairean girl returns following campaign
Following a vigorous campaign, a Zairean orphan has been allowed
to return to the Netherlands to appeal against the refusal of her
asylum application. Francine Ngona became an orphan in 1992 when
her mother died. Two years earlier, her father was murdered by
supporters of Mobutu (De Volkskrant 14.1.95).
Human smugglers arrested
Five people made a court appearance in Rotterdam accused of
smuggling, refugees into the country. Apparently, since 1990 a
smuggling operation has brought 700 people into the Netherlands.
Immigration authorities had traced 13 Tamils, brought into
Holland by the smugglers, some of whom had paid US$500 for false
travel documents (De Volkskrant 14.1.95).
IRR European Race Audit, no 13, April 1995. Contact: Liz Fekete,
Institute of Race Relations, 2-6 Leeke Street, London WC1X 9HS.
Tel: 0171 837 0041