Dutch gov't wants to deport child asylum seekers to "return hubs" in non-EU countries
The Dutch government wants to be able to send rejected child asylum seekers to “return hubs” in non-European countries, from where they must return to their country of origin. The government wrote this in a response to the Return Regulation, a proposal by the European Commission for EU countries to implement each other’s deportation decisions, Nieuwsuur reported.
The return hub part of the Commission’s proposal is very vague, but it explicitly states that families with minor children and unaccompanied minors can not be sent to such deportation centers. The Dutch government wants to send families with minors to these centers. According to the Dutch government, this would “discourage the abuse of the vulnerable position of children” to frustrate the return procedure.
Vluchtelingenwerk Nederland, an organization that advocates for refugees’ interests in the Netherlands, called the government’s position very worrying. “It is unclear what the exact situation will be in the third country. There may be a form of detention. Allowing children to stay in such a location is detrimental to their development and is in conflict with the rights of the child,” a spokesperson told the current affairs program.
The European Commission hopes that the Return Regulation will increase the number of rejected asylum seekers who leave the European Union. Across the EU, around one in five rejected asylum seekers now return to their country of origin. EU countries all have their own deportation policy. The Commission wants countries to recognize and implement each other’s deportation decisions, to prevent asylum seekers whose application was rejected in one member state from trying again in another.
The Return Regulation mentions the possibility of Member States making agreements with non-EU countries about receiving rejected asylum seekers in “return hubs.” This month, Italy deported the first asylum seekers to such a hub in Albania. During a visit to Uganda last year, Dutch Minister Reinette Klever for Foreign Trade and Development Aid announced that the government was planning such a hub in the African country. Prime Minister Dick Schoof, other Cabinet members, and Uganda turned out not to be aware of this plan.
