This morning, lawyer Corrien Ullersma responded to the motion that was adopted by the Member's Council of the Dutch Labor Party (Partij voor de Arbeid) on 8 May 2014. The motion calls for inclusion of children who were in the picture with their municipal government in the Children's Pardon Regulation-scheme. The regulation is currently interpreted in such a way that only children who were known to the central government may receive a residence permit. The Dutch Children's Ombudsman Marc Dullaert, the initiative for a Fair Children's Pardon (Eerlijk Kinderpardon) and a large number of mayors find this unacceptable, and have called for a more flexible approach to the rules.
Listen to the radio item here (BNR) (in Dutch).
Annexes (in Dutch)
- Letter d.d. 14 April 2014 from Children's Ombudsman Marc Dullaert to Dutch State Secretary of Justice Teeven
- De Volkskrant: 'Ombudsman gaat dossiers publiceren uit protest tegen "idioot" kinderpardon', article (7 May 2014)
- Pauw & Witteman: 'Moet het kinderpardon breder worden gemaakt?', interview Marc Dullaert (7 May 2014)
- Read the appeal by the mayors here and here
- NOS: 'PvdA-leden: ruimhartig kinderpardon', article (8 May 2014)
See also:
- Asiel & Migratierecht: 'De Regeling langdurig verblijvende kinderen: Tussen pardon en kinderrecht', Corrien Ullersma en Jorg Werner (2013, nr. 9)