PVV: Kick Out Antillean Criminals

An MP for anti-immigration party PVV has revived a plan to deport people from the Antilles and Aruba for criminal acts. The plan from MP Sietse Fritsma is virtually identical to the one proposed by former VVD integration minister Rita Verdonk in 2007.

Fritsma's efforts were made public Wednesday. He claims it is legal to send people back to the islands for even minor infractions if they have resided in the Netherlands for a short period of time. The longer they have resided in the Netherlands, the more serious the crime needs to be before the person can be deported, he says.

Those born in Aruba, Curacao and St. Maarten are considered Dutch nationals. By attempting to apply different rules to Dutch people based on where they were born the Verdonk plan was repeatedly refused by the Council of State for violating the European Human Rights Treaty.

PVV member Sietse Fritsma during a debate in Feb. 2010 (zilverbat./Flickr)

Echoing Verdonk's statements in February 2007, Fritsma told newswire ANP that Antilleans cause major problems in the Netherlands. He says people from the islands are more likely to offend than others.

Verdonk was kicked out of the VVD not long after for repeatedly coming to blows with party leader Mark Rutte before he took over as Prime Minister. Verdonk then joined Geert Wilders' PVV, before attempting to extend her political career by forming her own party in 2008.

She is now retired from politics.

Fritsma has been a member of the Twede Kamer since 2006.