Despite the very limited time until the last soldiers leave, probably in July, the Refugee Council, military unions and veterans have not yet noticed any acceleration in the process of bringing interpreters who want to go to the Netherlands. The fact that ministers Bijleveld and Blok (of Defense and Foreign Affairs respectively) sent a very official letter about the case to the House last week, with almost no information, has further worried the House. The security situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating by the day and the Taliban is seeking revenge against Afghans who worked with Western forces.
‘These people have played an indispensable role for our soldiers in Afghanistan’, says Jeroen van Wijngaarden (VVD), ‘but I still get all kinds of signals that they are being sent back and forth (to and from the Dutch embassy in Kabul, ed. ) to get papers. We really need to avoid getting into some kind of Kafka-in-Kabul situation. The cabinet must address those concerns and that has not been done enough so far. ‘
Time consuming procedures
Over the years, the Netherlands has used the services of hundreds of Afghan interpreters. According to the cabinet itself, the counter stood at 220 in 2014. Unlike other Western countries, the cabinet – forced by the House – only took measures in 2019 to make it easier for interpreters to come to the Netherlands: they no longer had to prove that they are personally prosecuted.
Nevertheless, not many interpreters have come over with their families since then. This is partly due to the covid pandemic, but also due to strict procedures that are extremely time-consuming and difficult for many interpreters to fulfill – especially now that the Taliban has recaptured parts of the country. Bijleveld and Blok speak of ‘more than sixty’ interpreters, without saying what time span it concerns. They do not make any further statements about the number of interpreters, ‘for security reasons’ – an argument often used by these ministries not to provide information. The Dutch Refugee Service had only counted 32 since October 2020. Last month, since it was announced that the NATO troops were leaving, there were only seven.
The fact that the cabinet does not provide figures about the number of interpreters that are registered, and about the question whether that registration has been conclusive over the past twenty years, frustrates MPs, who have now asked for additional information in a briefing. The way in which parliamentary questions have been dealt with also arouses irritation. “The answers to questions are very vague and raise more questions than they answer,” says Kati Piri (PvdA). “What do we do with phrases like ‘The Afghan authorities are responsible for the safety of all civilians’?”
Unanimity
It is striking that there is a unanimous opinion in the House about the need to bring the Afghan interpreters here quickly. Even the usual rules in this regard are not sacrosanct, confirm parties to the left and right of the political spectrum. ‘Defense should have tackled this earlier and the procedure now has to be done unbüroratically,’ says Derk Jan Eppink of JA21. ‘These people worked for the Netherlands and the safety of our soldiers. In that case, The Hague’s regular delivery is not an option.
VVD member Van Wijngaarden says he understands that the government had to establish the identity of interpreters before they come to the Netherlands, but believes that under these exceptional circumstances that identification could also be done in an alternative way, ‘for example by veterans who worked with the interpreters. to have’. That concern about the fate of the interpreters is great in the armed forces, was underlined last week in a letter sent in de Volkskrant, which was co-signed (contrary to official regulations) by military personnel in office.
The only real troublemaker in the House of Representatives is probably the PVV. This party could not be reached for comment, but recently turned against the temporary sending of eighty soldiers to Afghanistan to protect the Dutch retreat.
Anne-Marie Snels, former chairman of the military trade union AFMP, regularly receives examples from veterans about bureaucratic blockades that hinder the arrival of interpreters. She mentions an interpreter with a pregnant woman who received confirmation in November that all papers were completed and on their way to the Netherlands for assessment. ‘In the meantime, the baby was born in March and the interpreter has been told to submit all kinds of forms again. With which the paper mill actually starts all over again. That is unacceptable. ‘
–
