3 September 2008

Asylum seekers in asylum limbo
The Lower House is deliberating over the question of what to do with asylum seekers suspected of war crimes today.

According to Trouw, this group finds itself in an asylum limbo. Under the 1951 UN Refugee Treaty, serious suspicion of human rights violations is enough to exempt someone from the asylum procedure. Actual evidence is not required.

The paper reports 700 people in the Netherlands who have been refused asylum on these grounds. Most of these people are from Afghanistan. Up to only four people have ever been brought to trial and one person was acquitted. None have been deported.

The paper describes the situation of Abdul Aziz, a driver for the notorious Afghan intelligence service Khan. His wife laments "there is no evidence that my husband is a criminal". But after years of uncertainty, this group wants to know its fate.

Tourism slump predicted
The Dutch tourism industry is concerned about the future.

In a report entitled, Destination Holland 2020, the Netherlands tourism agency predicts sluggish growth for the sector. AD says the slump has been caused by economic slow down in the US and United Kingdom. The strong euro, higher fuel costs, the new flight tax, the tourist tax and airport surcharges at Schiphol have also taken their toll.

Another reason for the poor predictions is that not enough hotels are being built. A staggering 9,000 more hotel rooms will be needed by 2015. Most tourists come for a couple of days to see the windmills, tulips or to try on a pair of clogs.

Multi-millionaire under investigation
De Telegraaf reports on multi-millionaire John Wolbers who is under investigation for embezzlement. The fraud office is looking into the finances of the owner of Easy Life Investments, which business magazine Quote ranks as number 14 in its annual list of 500 Dutch companies.

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