CDA and PvdA: ‘Do not let
Antilleans without a job in’
PHILIPSBURG--Dutch governing parties CDA and PvdA want to prevent Antillean youth who do not have jobs or who have not completed their education from entering the Netherlands.
The two parties made their point of view known during a meeting of the Committee on Living, Districts and Integration of the Dutch Second Chamber on Tuesday. Dutch Minister of Integration Ella Vogelaar and Dutch Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin were present during the meeting.
The Ministers proposed the establishment of a Task Force that has to work with the 21 so-called Antillean municipalities (municipalities where large groups of Antilleans are living) to come up with plans to address the problems Antilleans are facing in the Netherlands.
Approximately 130,000 Antilleans are living in the Netherlands and some youngsters who have not finished their education have been causing problems in the Netherlands. They cannot find work and end up in criminality.
CDA and PvdA are of the opinion that Antillean youth should stay in the Netherlands Antilles until they complete the compulsory social education. The compulsory social education is an initiative of the Central Government of the Netherlands Antilles and executed in close cooperation with the island territories.
It targets youngsters ages 16-24 who have dropped out of school, don’t have a job and are not actively seeking a job. The goal is to offer these youngsters a second chance for better prospects.
The integral implementation of the compulsory social education started in April 2006.
CDA Member of the Second Chamber Madeleine van Toorenburg believes that youngsters who have not completed secondary education or the compulsory social education programme should not be allowed to enter the Netherlands.
Second Chamber member for the PvdA Jeroen Dijsselbloem is of the opinion that all Antillean youngsters living in the Netherlands and who have not completed secondary or compulsory social education should be sent back to complete the compulsory social education programme.
The proposal of the CDA and PvdA parties fits in the plans of Hirsch Ballin to draft a law making it possible to declare Antillean youngsters who often come in contact with justice “undesirable” and sent back to the Antilles.
However, Vogelaar said that only if all other approaches fail to yield positive results should such drastic measures be considered.
“We cannot seek a solution by expelling persons. It’s a Kingdom problem,” the Minister said. “Aruba and the Antilles are part of the Kingdom.”
PVV Member of the Second Chamber Sietse Fritsma said that expelling criminal Antillean youth would be the cure for all problems of that group. He proposed to banish all Antilleans who had committed one serious criminal offence or two lesser offences.
The CDA and GroenLinks parties accused Fritsma of not trying to come up with solutions, but just wanting to “laser out” the Antilleans.
Vogelaar believes the current manner in which the problems are being addressed is not sufficient. Before the end of the year she wants to make new agreements with the municipalities. The Minister wants large scale cutting back of several projects because they have no effect.
PvdA and GroenLinks want Hirsch Ballin to pay more attention to Antillean youngsters who go to the Netherlands without guardians. The Minister admitted that youth being unguided was asking for problems. However, he stated that it was being checked in the Antilles whether the youngsters had family members or friends in the Netherlands to receive them when they arrived.
