Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Dutch MP: update
In my previous post on the Hirsi Ali story I wrote that immigration minister Rita Verdonk was launching a full investigation.
She was as good as her word, and yesterday informed the Tweede Kamer (House of Commons) that the Somali-born politician's naturalisation had been improperly granted and that she had six weeks to appeal.
The hard line minister cited a 2005 Dutch Supreme court ruling that passports found to be issued under false names were automatically invalid.
However, according to a report by Dutchnews in English Wednesday morning, she has been forced into a U-turn by the House, who say that her conclusions about the case were too hasty.
In a motion proposed by her own party late last night and supported by the CDA, D66, PvdA, Groenlinks, SP and Christen Unie, she was requested to naturalise Ms Hirsi Ali as soon as possible.
Verdonk said that she must reapply using her real name and details so that she can be given "refugee status", on which basis she will then be permitted to reapply for naturalisation.
Ms Hirsi Ali told the New York Times yesterday that she planned to leave the Netherlands.
Meanwhile 26000 failed asylum seekers are due to be expelled.
So much for the statement that "Laws and rules are valid for everyone".
She was as good as her word, and yesterday informed the Tweede Kamer (House of Commons) that the Somali-born politician's naturalisation had been improperly granted and that she had six weeks to appeal.
The hard line minister cited a 2005 Dutch Supreme court ruling that passports found to be issued under false names were automatically invalid.
However, according to a report by Dutchnews in English Wednesday morning, she has been forced into a U-turn by the House, who say that her conclusions about the case were too hasty.
In a motion proposed by her own party late last night and supported by the CDA, D66, PvdA, Groenlinks, SP and Christen Unie, she was requested to naturalise Ms Hirsi Ali as soon as possible.
Verdonk said that she must reapply using her real name and details so that she can be given "refugee status", on which basis she will then be permitted to reapply for naturalisation.
Ms Hirsi Ali told the New York Times yesterday that she planned to leave the Netherlands.
Meanwhile 26000 failed asylum seekers are due to be expelled.
So much for the statement that "Laws and rules are valid for everyone".
