Mayor Halsema hoping for "humanity" from Asylum Minister for Amsterdam boy, 11

Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema says she is still waiting for an official response from Migration Minister Marjolein Faber about the case involving Dutch-born Mikael (11) and his Armenian mother. “We are waiting for the official response from the Minister and hope that it will show the humanity that is sorely lacking in the press response,” Halsema said.

Earlier this week, the Council of State ruled that Mikael and his mother can’t stay in the Netherlands. A spokesperson for Faber said on Friday that she could do nothing for Mikael and his mother and that the responsibility lies with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND).

Halsema previously asked Faber to consult with the IND about the case, but Faber’s spokesperson said she saw no room for that. The spokesperson also referred to the new Cabinet’s coalition agreement, which includes plans for the strictest asylum policy ever. “We are just an ordinary policy machine,” the spokesperson said.

Mikael is still struggling to process the fact that he will be deported to Armenia after living in Amsterdam for his entire life, said family spokesperson Guy Loyson. The boy and his mother are holding out hope, he said. “We are still hoping for a miracle.”

A petition to Faber calling on her to grant Mikael a residency permit had been signed over 45,000 times by 10:30 a.m. on Friday. The petition asks the government to “work on a humane asylum policy, which focuses on people and not just the rules.” It also wants Mikeal and other children in similar situations to be granted a residency permit.