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Council of Europe: Dutch Justice Minister must stop turning children out on to the street

16 July 2010

Council of Europe: Dutch Justice Minister must stop turning children out on to the street

Nine KooimanOn 7th July the Council of Europe adopted a resolution calling on the Dutch government to stop allowing children to be turned out on to the street. SP Member of Parliament Nine Kooiman sees this as a clear push in the back. "A majority in parliament voted in 20th May to support a motion proposed by the SP stating that children have a permanent right to a roof over their heads," she points out. "The Christian Democrats voted against, the only one of the three Christian parties to do so. That's really unbelievable. Good thing that the Council of Europe has given Hirsch Ballin, the Christian Democrat Justice Minister, a rap on the knuckles.”

20th May also saw a major demonstration organised by the coalition 'Geen kind op straat! ('No child on the street!') The coalition, made up of UNICEF-Netherlands and a number of refugee support organisations, religious groups and children's' charities, is demanding that the Netherlands put an immediate stop to the practice of putting families with children out on to the street. The SP was an enthusiastic supporter of the group's action. Even after Parliament carried the SP motion, however, Hirsch Ballin failed to carry out its wish and continued to have families with children evicted and refused any kind of shelter. "I have now put parliamentary questions demanding once again that Hirsch Ballin takes steps to ensure that no family with children finds itself having to roam the streets. Every child has a right to a roof over his or her head.”

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