Skip to main content
Home

Main navigation

  • Top stories
  • Health
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Weird
  • 1-1-2
Image
Child asylum seekers in Greece
Child asylum seekers in Greece - Credit: vverve / DepositPhotos - License: DepositPhotos
Politics
child asylum seeker
Greece
refugee camp
asylum seekers
pastor
Christianity
CDA
ChristenUnie
Jan de Beer
Monday, August 31, 2020 - 13:30
Share this:
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
  • reddit

Churches also pushing gov't to help orphaned children in Greek refugee camps

Over 750 pastors of churches throughout the Netherlands signed a petition urging the government to help orphaned children in refugee camps in Greece. If proper reception for them cannot be arranged in Greece, these child asylum seekers should be brought to the Netherlands, the religious leaders said in the latest push for the government to help these children, Trouw reports.

The pastors' appeal will be sent to the two Christian parties in the coalition, the CDA and ChristenUnie, on Monday evening. "We should be a guide country in the field of children's rights, but our policy is very pale and dull," Jan de Beer from Zwolle, who initiated this campaign, said to Trouw. "We want more attention for the thousands of children who are trapped in refugee camps."

Despite pressure from multiple angles, including 80 CDA departments, to shelter 500 orphans in the Netherlands, and multiple municipalities saying they would take in these children, the coalition decided against doing so. Instead the Rutte III coalition of VVD, CDA, D66 and ChristenUnie said they'd arrange 48 shelter places in Greece for orphans from the camps on the Greek islands.

"The policy is now very focused on those 48 children. That's great, but there are thousands of other children who need help. What will happen to them?" De Beer said. He added that many pastors who signed the appeal also noted that they are willing to take in a child. "We do not want to place all responsibility with the cabinet, but we also want to be there for these children."

Follow us:

Latest stories

  • Youth care organizations struggle to send youth protectors to children on time
  • Almere residents fear they will pay for Floriade disappointment
  • Many Ukrainians must leave host families for shelters as summer vacation approaches
  • Criminal ring attempted to ship over 400,000 MDMA pills from Netherlands to Chile
  • Minister favors changing approach to life sentence pardon requests
  • Long lines at Eindhoven Airport, partly due to early arrivals

Top stories

  • Hundreds of passengers evacuated from stranded train; some NS delays on Sunday
  • Suspect apprehended after getting stolen camper stuck in Maas river
  • German police arrest Dutch man who mailed envelopes of drugs
  • Regional bus drivers strike in Groningen, Almere, Waalwijk
  • Extra Covid-19 measures not yet necessary: Van Dissel
  • Farmers demonstrate in many places, dump straw bale at minister's house

© 2012-2022, NL Times, All rights reserved.

Footer menu

  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Partner content