Dutch parliament wants debate on Trump's entry ban
A majority in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, wants a debate on new American president Donald Trump's decision to close the United States borders to asylum seekers and other people from seven Muslim countries. The D66 and GroenLinks first raised the call for a debate on Sunday and they are now supported by the PvdA, CDA, SP, ChristenUnie, PvdD, Group Kuzu/Ozturk and parliamentarian Norbert Klein, NU.nl reports.
The parliamentarians want the debate to be with KLM, the Koninklijke Marechaussee (a policing force that works as part of the Dutch military and is responsible for airport security) and an expert in the field of military law. They feel the debate is necessary, as Trump's ban also affects the Netherlands - for example, KLM stopped some passengers from getting on flights to the United States.
Earlier on Monday a spokesperson for KLM said to RTL Nieuws that the airline has no choice but to refuse passengers. "It makes no sense to take people, because you'll to bring them right back", the spokesperson said. "Rules are rules." He added that airlines who ignore the rules face large fines.
In addition to KLM, there are also other ways in which Trump's ban can effect the Netherlands. For example, Schiphol owns and operates Terminal 4 at the JFK airport in New York. The D66 and GroenLinks want to know how that is affected. And what role does the Marechaussee and other services have to play in implementing this ban.
The European Commission is "for legal reasons" taking the time to investigate what the entry ban will mean for EU citizens with dual nationality. Minister Bert Koenders of Foreign Affairs and his German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel also instructed the Dutch and German embassies in Washington to look into this. They also ask the Americans for an explanation and clarification on this ban.
