Every year, dozens of women and girls are left behind in countries such as Morocco, Turkey or Egypt by their husbands or parents. In a parliamentary debate on the issue, Deputy Justice Minister Nebahat Albayrak (photo right) pledged to deal with the offenders.
In 2001, legislation designed to improve integration was introduced denying Dutch residence rights for the first three years to women brought to the Netherlands from abroad for marriage. Exceptions were made for women who were the victim of violence which was documented by a doctor and reported to the police.
Powerless
A foundation supporting returned migrants recorded 40 cases of wife dumping during holidays in 2006, and 36 women failed to return home to the Netherlands in 2007. Sometimes, men bring a new bride back to the Netherlands, using their wife's passport. The women are left behind without any rights. They have no papers, and their families are too ashamed to do anything about the situation.
Statement
Now politicians want to introduce measures to change all this. Labour MP Khadija Arib (pictured below) thinks that girls who are threatened with arranged marriages should be able to sign a statement voicing their opposition. The idea comes from Great Britain.
"I'm heartened to see how they are dealing with this kind of problem there. The government tries to get girls left behind back to Britain. Something like that should be possible in the Netherlands."
Arib has strongly advocated a helpline, so that teachers can phone in if a girl does not return to school after the summer holidays.
The helpline could also be available to the girls themselves. Justice Minister Nebahat Albayrak is looking into how best to set up the helpline.
Dumped
Thirty-eight-year-old Myriam Menehb is pleased with the political initiative. Her husband dumped her in Morocco a number of years ago. Now she helps women in the Netherlands who fear the same might happen to them. Ms Menehb says the main problem for these women is that they don't know how to get back to the Netherlands:
"I think there should be a special desk at the Dutch embassy for these women and girls, which can tell them exactly what to do. That would be the ideal solution."
In her own case, Ms Menehb was told that there was nothing the Dutch consulate could do.
Legal process
Meanwhile the government has decided that in some cases women will receive a residence permit more quickly. If a woman is the victim of domestic violence for example the chance is greater that she can remain in the Netherlands. The deputy justice minister does not just want to focus on the victims. During the debate, she said the perpetrators should be dealt with too:
"I think you can use the little information you have to prosecute the men. For example if a man takes his wife's documents so that she cannot return to the Netherlands, he is deliberately restricting her freedom. You can consider using criminal law."
The Lower House is pleased with the deputy minister's statement.
Klaas den Tek
Radio Netherlands
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The Dutch government is going to get tougher with the dumping of immigrant women and children in their lands of origin.
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