Netherlands halts Congo returns
BBC News:
The Netherlands has suspended the return of failed asylum-seekers to the Democratic Republic of Congo following reports of documents being leaked.
Congolese officials are reported to have obtained confidential documents on several deportees and then abused them.
Dutch Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk announced the temporary halt to returns during a special session of parliament.
She said an independent inquiry would investigate how Dutch files may have ended up with Congolese immigration.
Mrs Verdonk came under pressure in parliament to take action following the report by the Netwerk current affairs programme on Tuesday.
On a number of occasions in the past she has reassured parliament that failed asylum-seekers' files were kept secret.
Dutch media reports that human rights organisations had also warned that deportees faced the serious risk of imprisonment, extortion and assault if unmasked as asylum-seekers.
A five-year war in DR Congo is officially over, however armed bands continue to roam parts of the east, killing, raping and looting.
Verdonk called on to resign in asylum seekers furore
posted by Adam Lawson @ 10:51 AM
1 comments
1 Comments:
Yeah, OK, but...
Given overall conditions in Africa, it's easy to see ANY criteria for a decision to return asylum seekers being criticized, as pretty much the whole continent is politically unstable and an economic basket case. Even if no specific threat, or likelihood of persecution to the individual can be inferred. And Africans know this, as do the people they pay to take them there.
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