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| Europe |
| Dutch To Expel Masses of Immigrants |
| 2004-02-17 |
| EFL but this is an Important Story.For all of our criticism of our European Friends, I am not sure that they are not, "Getting It," better than we are on this side of the Ocean. I do not believe that a comparable law could be passed or implemented here in the United States. First the Danes, now the Dutch, Germany is waking up, as is even maybe France. Certainly something to think about. The Dutch plans to forcibly remove tens of thousands of asylum seekers may sit ill at ease with Holland’s long-standing reputation as a bastion of liberalism and laissez-faire attitudes. But the expression "Normen en waarden" - norms and values - has become a catchphrase in the country, whose residents have in recent years expressed increasing unease with sharing their homeland with foreigners who they say do not subscribe to Dutch values. The meteoric rise of the populist Pim Fortuyn - who campaigned on an anti-immigration, anti-Islam ticket prior to his assassination in 2002 - was widely interpreted as a wake-up call for Dutch politicians who had studiously avoided questions of immigration and integration. The Netherlands was full, and those without permits should be deported, Mr Fortuyn declared. His party achieved stunning election success after his death, and although in-fighting has since taken its toll, his politics - as Tuesday’s vote makes clear - live on. "A lot of people feel we have been too tolerant over the years - hence the appeal of Pim Fortuyn when he started breaking taboos. The government is acting on that - what we are seeing is indeed his legacy." The clampdown on asylum seekers is seen as inextricably linked to a wider debate about multi-culturalism in the Netherlands - a policy which has of late been called into question. A recent Dutch all-party parliamentary report concluded that efforts to create an integrated multi-ethnic society has failed, leaving first and second-generation immigrants alienated from mainstream Dutch life. To those who oppose the plans to expel the 26,000 failed asylum seekers - many of whom have lived in the country for years and have worked hard to integrate - the deportations will only exacerbate this problem. "I think it’s the only way to stop things getting out of hand. I’m with the government on this," says Roy, a software consultant in the north-eastern town of Zwolle. "The Netherlands must always be a place where those who are genuinely fleeing persecution can come, but it should not be a place for people who want to abuse the system and who have no interest in accepting their responsibilities, learning the language, trying to fit in." While the Netherlands may be about to embark upon one of the largest deportations in modern European history - the country is not alone in questioning the merits of multi-culturalism and ongoing immigration. New measures have been adopted in the UK and Germany to repatriate those whose claims to asylum on the grounds of persecution are rejected. Italy and France say they will not repeat the periodic amnesties which have been granted in the past to illegal immigrants. Mainstream parties across Europe have been jolted into action by the gains made by anti-immigrant, populist parties in a string of elections. While these parties - as Pim Fortuyn’s movement illustrated - are rarely able to maintain a prolonged period in government, if they enter office at all - their policies are frequently absorbed by ruling parties. |
| Posted by:Traveller |
| #4 Smart move by Holland. France would be smarter to do something like this rather than Jacues Chirac wasting everyone's time on head scarves! |
| Posted by: Jennie Taliaferro 2004-2-18 2:13:46 AM |
| #3 This is a pretty big deal, Eurowise. The Dutch are a respected, enlightened, bunch. I think they know it's crunch time. Are there any Dutch Rantburgers? |
| Posted by: Lucky 2004-2-17 11:42:42 PM |
| #2 Same reason those other religious radicals were forced from Leiden to seek shelter at Plymouth Rock. Atleast the Indians didn't try to assimilate them. |
| Posted by: Mr. Davis 2004-2-17 7:41:43 PM |
| #1 Sorry, this is somewhat of a double post. However, the other Dutch article was not up when I started this. Still, this article takes somewhat of a different slant. |
| Posted by: Traveller 2004-2-17 7:00:33 PM |