Dutch CDA want more humane asylum policy

Members of his own Christian Democrat party CDA have slammed the policies of outgoing Immigration and Asylum Minister Gerd Leers for not being humane enough.

National daily writes that CDA councillors from 81 local councils out of a total of 415 have urged fellow party members in parliament to take action. A permanent residence permit for asylum seekers’ families whose children were born and raised in the Netherlands is seen as the first step toward a more humane asylum policy.

The councillors have written letters to 21 CDA MPs with the urgent request to support an asylum bill commonly referred to as the Assimilation Bill. Sponsored by the Labour Party and the Christian Union, it would grant permanent residence permits to families with children who have lived in the Netherlands for longer than eight years.

The bill is intended to prevent children who grew up in the Netherlands and can only speak Dutch from being deported to what would essentially be a foreign country with a foreign language and culture.

Whether the bill will be supported by a majority in parliament would appear to depend on the CDA, writes. Minister Leers is opposed, but the 81 councillors said the parliamentary party has remained silent for far too long.