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25 September 2011

Recognition of Palestinian state urgently needed

The Dutch government rejects the recognition of the Palestinian state by the United Nations. In doing this, they are sending the wrong signal.

24 September 2011

Palestine must no longer be excluded

The United Nations must decide on admission of Palestine as the 194th member.

24 September 2011

SP development spokesman named ‘political comrade’ of Burundi journalist

Ewout Irrgang, Member of Parliament and development spokesman for the SP, today became a ‘political comrade’ of Burundi journalist Eric Manirakiza. The initiative is a response to growing repression of critical journalists and members of the opposition on the part of the Burundi government.

24 September 2011

Government plans to penalise illegal entry are impracticable

Immigration and Asylum Minister Gerd Leers’ plans to lock up undocumented immigrants is in conflict with EU rules. This is clear from answers delivered today by the European Commission to questions put by Dutch MEPs from the SP, Green Left, Christian Union, Labour and the centrist D66. According to the rules laid out in what is known as the Returns Directive, as well as a recent ruling from the European Court of Justice, member states may not introduce any legislation limiting the freedom of undocumented migrants simply because they are in the country illegally. This demonstrates that the government’s plans to make unauthorised presence a punishable offence are impracticable.

22 September 2011

Frontex must halt degrading treatment of asylum seekers

The SP political groups in the Dutch national Parliament and the European Parliament have put questions in response to a damning report from Human Rights Watch on degrading conditions surrounding the reception of asylum seekers in Greece. Greece’s reception of asylum seekers is backed up by the European Union’s border guard service corps Frontex. ‘The report is damning about Frontex’s actions and talks about human rights abuses,’ says SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong. ‘This must lead to immediate changes.’

21 September 2011

SP leader: 'This crisis is no natural disaster, but can be blamed on political failures’

'This crisis is no natural disaster, but can be blamed on political failures’. So said SP leader Emile Roemer during the debate on the government’s programme for the coming year. In the Netherlands, governments set out their plans and their budget in a speech delivered by the Queen each September, and a few days later Parliament has the opportunity to respond in the ‘General Considerations’, a wide-ranging debate. Below are extracts from Emile Roemer’s contribution to that debate.

International