The Dutch parliament has relaunched a debate regarding the discretionary powers of the Minister of Asylum and Immigration, Gerd Leers, to grant a residence permit to asylum seekers whose applications have been rejected.

This year, 41 asylum seekers obtained a residence permit through the Minster's discretionary powers. According to the Interior Ministry, unaccompanied minors who turn 18, but have been in the country for three years and have nobody to host them in in their own country, are allowed to remain in the Netherlands but only if their asylum application has been positively evaluated. The Minister of Asylum and Immigration can make exceptions through the discretionary powers if an asylum seeker has been living in the Netherlands for many years, because of medical problems or if the situation in the country of origin to which they would be returned is too dangerous.

The debate was relaunched on the 20th of September when the now 18-year old Mauro Manuel from Angola received a decision from the immigration service that he would have to leave the country. Mauro Manuel came unaccompanied to the Netherlands at the age of ten and has been living since then in a foster home. Now that Mauro Manuel has turned eighteen, the immigration service believes there is no reason why Mauro Manuel cannot return safely to Angola. Minister Leers insists that up to now the idea has been to send Mauro Manuel back to Angola, but MPs think his future lies in the Netherlands. The debate in the Parliament focuses on why certain asylum seekers are granted get a permit while others are not. Leers will now review the case of Mauro Manuel.

Earlier this year the Afghan girl Sahar and her family were given a residence permit after she was deemed to be 'too westernised' to be repatriated to Afghanistan. Many political parties stated that a situation of randomness should be avoided.

From: www.ecre.org