Gov't says it can't stop Amsterdam boy's deportation to Armenia

The Ministry of Asylum and Migration cannot do anything about the impending deportation of Amsterdam-born Mikeal (11) and his Armenian mother, a spokesperson for Migration Minister Marjolein Faber said two days after the Council of State ruled that the two can’t stay in the Netherlands. The responsibility lies with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND), the spokesperson said. “Of course, it is being discussed, but it won’t lead to a different outcome.

Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema pleaded with Faber to consult with the IND about the case, but Faber’s spokesperson sees no room to change the ruling. “We are just an ordinary policy machine.” He would not respond to the Council of State’s ruling. “In principle, we never comment on individual cases, including this one.

The spokesperson pointed to the PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB’s coalition agreement. It states that asylum procedures will be shorter, and the possibility of submitting repeated applications will be restricted. “The Minister wants to put an end to endless litigation,” the spokesperson said. “You let such a child become completely rooted in society. That leads to stress, frustration, and a hopeless situation.”

11-year-old Mikael is still struggling to process the fact that he will be deported to Armenia after living in Amsterdam for his entire life, said Guy Loyson, a friend and spokesperson for the family. His mother, Gohar, is very sad. “It is a terrible situation,” Loyson said. “I do not see a way out.”

Mikael’s mother came to the Netherlands in 2010 and stayed undocumented after her asylum application was rejected. Mikael was born here and has lived in the Netherlands his entire life. The family filed an application for residency based on the Closing Regulation, which was intended for children who did not receive residency permits due to strict rules but have been living in the Netherlands for years. It is the closing regulation of the children’s pardon.

The IND rejected Mikael’s application, but in 2021, a court ruled that Mikael and his mother should be given residency. The IND took the matter to the Council of State, which ruled against Mikael this week. According to the highest administrative judge, the boy and his mother have been out of sight of the authorities for too long.

“We are hoping for a miracle, although I do not know from which side that could come,” Loyson said. A petition to Minister Faber had been signed over 45,000 times. In Amsterdam Zuidoost, where Mikael and his mother were staying in an asylum center until recently, there are plans to organize a march in support of the boy.