ANP extension
ANNOUNCEMENTS••Edited
The measure that asylum seekers with residence permits are not allowed to bring their family members to the Netherlands until they have a home in the Netherlands will be temporarily lifted.
Secretary of State Van der Burg writes it to the House of Representatives. In this way, the coalition wanted to temporarily limit the influx of asylum seekers, because asylum reception has been under severe pressure for some time.
That became painfully clear this summer as hundreds of people died for days he had to sleep outside in the overcrowded registration center Apple tar. Médecins Sans Frontières was to provide medical care to those in urgent need.
The coalition has proposed a package of measures and solutions, including suspending family reunification for asylum seekers. They were not allowed to travel after a homeless family member for at least six months.
“No useful effect”
But several judges have ruled that the measure is actually not possible, because it violates international treaties. That’s why the cabinet is temporarily releasing the measure, writes Van der Burg. The undersecretary of state writes that “he expects other judges” to decide the same, which means that “the useful effect of the provision is currently lacking”.
The government is still awaiting the ruling on the appeal in this case before making a final decision. The hearing is tomorrow, when the verdict is not yet known.
The change does not apply retroactively and therefore only applies to requests submitted from now on. The travel restriction in connection with family reunification applies to family reunification applications submitted in the last few months.
The last few months have had several the judges then drew a line by the provision, in several individual cases. For example, the Haarlem court ruled in December that there is no legal basis for this, because the policy conflicts with the Dutch Aliens Act and two provisions of the European directive on family reunification.
This lawsuit was filed by the Syrian Fakhria Al Mullaabid (47). He has six children and had asked the judge for a so-called provisional injunction, because his family still has to wait until the end of April before they can come to the Netherlands.
The judge established that the interest in reuniting the mother and her minor children prevails over the interest of the Secretary of State in tackling the reception crisis.
