What does NRC think | Self -direction, as at the border at Ter Apel, may not be able to count on understanding of politicians

Those who wondered where the constant political hammer for the danger of asylum (seekers), on limiting an alleged ‘high’ intake, and leads to even stricter asylum rules. The result of the barely concealed discriminatory tone of some politicians. He saw the answer at the border at Ter Apel in the last few days.

There tried a group of Vigilantes Asylum seekers, « dark people or what looks like » to stop. According to them, Germany would transfer refugees to the border with the Netherlands to limit their own inflow. And if the Dutch government would do nothing, they would do it themselves.

Eigen direction, and are proud of that too. That the leader of the PVV group, the largest in the Lower House, that welcomes and encourages, is already a shame. Investigation and arrest are reasonable for government powers, not volunteer work.

Even worse was the lukewarm reaction from the outgoing cabinet. Minister of Justice and Security David van Weel (VVD) said he understand ‘the frustration’State Secretary of Defense Gijs Tuinman (BBB) said that people from the Ter Apel neighborhood « really » knew « which vans are that people happen to with. » The concept for this illegal action is painfully contrasting with the days -long silence after the constitutionally appropriate action, the rhial line demonstration in which 100,000 people expressed their concerns about other cabinet policy.

The words of the ministers were at least accompanied by a ‘don’t do’, you stick to the law. But if the government does not act immediately and corrective, such vigilantism, such self -direction, threatens to become normal.

Van Weel also repeated the myth that the Netherlands cannot handle the current inflow of asylum seekers. As if asylum is the crystallization of other problems such as housing shorts and waiting lists. The numbers of asylum applications are, throughout Europe, lower than in previous years. The Netherlands has no asylum crisis, but a problem with a small group of nuisance ‘Safetymen’, which unfortunately determines the image.

The Netherlands mainly has a reception crisis. Caused by years of fluctuating policy, with the racing of the Spreading Act as the low point, which will take effect in two weeks but without nationwide political support. The only result of this half -hearted cabinet policy – do say they will withdraw the law, but that it is not (yet) done and not offering an alternative – is that local people’s representatives are confronted with protests and even threats, and are reluctant to perform their legal task.

While the Spreading Act was devised to prevent the harrowing situations in Ter Apel and Budel, where people had to sleep outside if there was no room in the registration centers. To reduce the nuisance there. The law offered clarity: every municipality would, based on the population, take asylum seekers. So solidarity.

The same semi -frequency applies the border controls that Minister Faber van Asiel (PVV) introduced. As The Court of Audit last week concludedare the targeted checks that the Marechaussee had been doing for years, much more effective. That is the message that ‘concerned citizens’ must hear. This country deserves an honest debate about asylum, devoid of symbolism and rhetoric.

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