Nieuws van de afdeling

15 February 2011

De Jong: new European asylum package needed

On the initiative of SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong and others, the European Parliament today debated asylum policy in Europe. Several EU member states are unhappy with the new asylum package establishing revised rules regarding the reception, processing and return of asylum seekers. These new rules are urgently needed because the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) recently banned the forcible return of asylum seekers to Greece, where many of them enter the EU and where the current rules say their applications should therefore be processed. 'Without sound European rules it’s only a question of time before Italy too fails to meet standards,’ warns De Jong. ‘The ECHR would then block the transfer of asylum seekers to Italy. Clearly we now need to find rapid agreement on reception and processing, and on the division of responsibilities. An emergency procedure for extreme situations such as we see now on Lampedusa must form part of this.’

11 February 2011

Historic day for Egypt and the Arab world

The resignation of President Mubarak of Egypt is the high point to date in what is a historic development for Egypt and for the whole of the Middle East, commented SP leader Emile Roemer after the now ex-Egyptian President’s decision to hand over his presidential powers. ‘The SP congratulates the Egyptian people and the courageous members of the 6th of April Movement who eighteen days ago began a political adventure that led to the political revolution of 11th February 2011. No-one could have dreamt, after the fraudulent parliamentary elections of November, 2010, that this would happen.

11 February 2011

Interview with Harry van Bommel: ‘I won’t trade human lives for prestige’

The SP is against the police mission to Afghanistan. Still, the training of Afghan police officers would under certain conditions be, for Harry van Bommel, ‘open to discussion. The Taliban aren’t just going to let themselves be taken away in Black Marias.’ An interview with Harry van Bommel. • By Machiel Rebergen

8 February 2011

The world in movement

Emile Roemer

5 February 2011

Sizeable turnout for Amsterdam demo in support of Egypt’s people

'We demand an end to the state of emergency which has been in force in Egypt for more than thirty years. This has enabled the Mubarak regime to lock up anyone it wants to for years, without trial, and without anyone knowing about the detainee’s fate. That cannot be. There are more than four thousand people of our movement in Egyptian prisons.’ So said Cherif Osman, representative in the Netherlands of Egypt’s 6th April Movement during his address to today’s demonstration ‘Democracy and Freedom in Egypt Now!’

4 February 2011

Tiny Kox: ‘Council of Europe must help Arab democratisation movement’

The Council of Europe must, if requested, help in the process of democratisation in the Arab world. SP Senator Tiny Kox wants to see a debate on the question in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), in which he leads the United Left group. This would ensure the involvement of all European countries except Belarus and the Vatican, the continent’s only non-members. PACE will meet in Paris in March, and at its last meeting earlier this month it discussed the uprising in Tunisia. During the debate, the longstanding support of European governments for Arab dictatorships came under severe criticism and immediate backing for the democratisation movement was urged.

International