Left-wing parties demand more attention for asylum children

GroenLinks and the PvdA want more attention paid to the interest of child asylum seekers in the asylum process. They believe that the interest of a child should outweigh the Netherlands' stance on the asylum process and plan to submit a legislative proposal to ensure this by the summer, AD reports. The parties are particularly concerned about children who face threats to their welfare, development or health if they are sent back to their country of origin. Currently only the State Secretary of Security and Justice can make an exception for such children. The PvdA and GroenLinks want to give the Immigration and Naturalization Service and judges more power to intervene in these cases. "These children should not be dependent on an exception. Their rights must immediately be secured in the law", PvdA MP Atje Kuiken said to the newspaper. According to her, the current legislation causes years of uncertainty for children and their families and is also not in line with European case law and international treaties. "Children are vulnerable an dependent on the protection of adults. Therefore the bar for deporting children should be higher", Linda Voortman of GroenLinks said.