Asylum kids' deported mom allowed to return to Netherlands

The mother of Lili and Howick, two child asylum seekers from Armenia who were given permission to stay in the Netherlands last year after a storm of commotion around their intended deportation, received permission to return to the Netherlands. She will be likely be reunited with her children by early next month, Patricia Scholtes, the lawyer representing the family, confirmed to NU.nl after reports by RTL Nieuws.

Mother Armina was deported from the Netherlands without her children in the summer of 2017, after her asylum request was rejected. Her two children, then 13 and 12 years old, were set to be deported in September last year, after living in the Netherlands for 10 years.

After a storm of criticism - experts and doctors called it irresponsible to send the two children to Armenia, there were accusations that the Netherlands is violating human rights, and over 100 thousand people signed a petition for the two children to stay - State Secretary Mark Harbers of Justice and Security decided to give Lili and Howick a pardon at the last minute.

Scholtes told NU.nl that Armina is "full of disbelief" and "very happy" that she will soon be reunited with her children. According to the lawyer, the immigration and naturalization service IND's decision was in line with expectations. "It is important that the children can be with their mother", she said.