Protection for young asylum seekers
Verdonk is calling for better protection for young asylum seekers. Hundreds of young Indian asylum seekers have disappeared from refugee centers, supposedly smuggled out by smugglers to be put to work elsewhere. Suggestions from the political parties include keeping the kids in closed refugee centers and assigning them guardians.
Immigrants answer to aging population
Economists say that immigrant workers are the answer to the aging population. Immigrants have more children than the ethnic Dutch and are in average 10 years younger. The number of immigrant employers has grown by 13% since 2003, while by the ethnic Dutch the number has only grown by 6%.
About 50% of Moroccans can’t or don’t want to work. The researchers explain this by saying that it might have to do with the young population and the fact that many are still in school. There are also many Moroccan women who don’t work.
Subsidies for anti-violence projects
The Ministry of Social Affairs is giving 1.5 million euro to 19 projects fighting violence against women – sexual, ‘honor’ related and domestic violence. The number of subsidy requests have gone up greatly, especially for projects dealing with ‘honor’ related issues (which includes conflicts over forced marriages, virginity and homosexuality).
All in total there 49 applications, compared to 19 last year. Nine of the subsidized projects are run by minority organizations, 7 of the projects are ran in conjunction with such projects.
Burqua ban
Patrick van Schie, manager of the scientific office of the VVD says that the party should pursue a burqa ban. Grown women have a right to decide on their own how to dress, he says, assuming they are free to make their own choice. However, he believes there’s a lot of social pressure on women to put on a burqua, which should be broken.
Additionally, hair covering for women under 18 should not be acceptable.
New EU guidelines for family reunification legal
The European Court of Justice has decided that the new guidelines for family reunification do not conflict with judicial principles. The guidelines specify that it is possible to force 12 year olds who live outside the EU and want to come live in the EU by their parents to undergo an integration test.
Rotterdam imam retires
Khalil el Moumni, imam in the Annasr Mosque for the last 15 years, has retired. Moumni has achieved notoriety in 2001 when he compared homosexuality to a contagious disease and said it is harmful to society. The court acquitted him of discrimination, saying it was covered by freedom of religion (not speech?!) and that he had been misquoted. Additionally, Moumni had stated in the interview that Islam forbids to trouble others and that Muslims should show respect for everybody. This part of the interview had not been broadcast.
A different look at integration..
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