RUDY CROES: "KEEP YOUR PROBLEMS AWAY FROM US!"

Croes demands concrete facts from Verdonk

August 8, 2006--ARUBA – Justice-minister Rudy Croes (MEP) wants minister Rita Verdonk (VVD) of Immigration to tell him before September 1st, how many Aruban problem youngsters live in the Netherlands. “If it turns out that the Netherlands is being swamped with problem youngsters from Aruba, then we will have to do something here. But if this is not the case, then execution of Aruban citizens’ civil rights in the Netherlands is being unnecessarily curtailed in an unacceptable manner”, states the minister in his letter.


As a result of the figures of the Dutch Central Bureau for Statistics, Croes wrote a letter to Verdonk on May 11th. The figures (Yeah, and we all know how RELIABLE their "figures" are...) show that there are hardly problem youngsters from Aruba Netherlands. Croes asked Verdonk to study the information and start a dialogue on the position of Aruban youngsters in the Netherlands. The Aruban government parts with the increased admittance regulation for Aruban youngsters, because there are hardly any problem youngsters from Aruba in the Netherlands.


“Your bill puts Aruban citizens in a worse position than citizens of other European Union countries, who can establish in the Netherlands without problems.”


Exiling inhabitants of the Royal Dutch Kingdom to another part of the Kingdom based on a not yet determined lack of education, not being able to be self-supporting, or not following an education is according to Croes unfair and in breach with the principle of equality and the principle of legal security.


Croes feels that he has the support of the Council of State, the Association of Dutch Municipalities, and several experts that have all decided negatively about the plans of Verdonk to subject Antillean- and Aruban youngsters to increased admittance requirements.


Croes asks Verdonk to study the bill once more. “Precipitance is already not wise in general. Especially when it has to do with the status of people. We then expect the necessary precision.” Croes indicated that he is not against preparing people from Aruba that want to establish in the Netherlands. “But this also has to apply to Dutch citizens that want to establish in Aruba. Also these persons have to adjust to other values and norms.”


Croes also mentioned the position of persons that have followed their education abroad, while they were born in the Netherlands. He wonders whether these people also have to comply with the admittance regulations. If that’s not the case, then such regulation would definitely be discriminating for Aruban citizens.