Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Dutch prepare to tighten liberal immigration laws Date: Sat, 21 Nov 92 17:35:41 EST Message-ID: \SE A;WORLD \SS (WS) \HD Dutch prepare to tighten liberal immigration laws \BY Lance Gay \CR SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE \DT AMSTERDAM AMSTERDAM - The door is slamming shut on the tidal wave of immigrants and bogus asylum-seekers who flooded Western Europe since the Berlin Wall collapsed in 1989. The politicians blame the changing mood on the recession, "compassion fatigue," the sheer numbers of the refugees and the social costs. Adding to the sense of crisis is the rise of nationalist parties throughout Europe whose ranks are fueled by xenophobes opposed to the new arrivals. Also, surveys financed by Western European governments predict that upwards of 20 million former Soviets plan to move to Western Europe after visa restrictions are lifted in January. It's not just Germany and France that are clamping down on the flood of new migrants; even the tolerant Netherlands is in an explosive battle over tightening immigration laws. What's happening here mirrors the rest of Europe as traditionally left-of-center politicians shift to the right on immigration issues, demanding new laws to curb the flow of illegal immigrants. More than 500,000 people arriving in Europe last year said they were fleeing their countries for fear of their lives or because of political persecution - the grounds for seeking asylum. That's double the total during the last days of the Cold War in 1988. And the numbers are expected to reach another record this year; Germany took in 50,000 asylum-seekers in October alone. The increase is only partly the result of the war in former Yugoslavia. Nearly half of those seeking asylum in Europe last year came from Asia or Africa. Although the Yugoslav war displaced more than 3 million people, the United Nations estimates only 500,000 Yugoslav refugees are living in Western Europe. It says more than 2 million Yugoslavs are housed within the former country's borders, apparently waiting to go back home. Most of the African and Asian immigrants don't qualify as political refugees but are economic migrants who can't move here legally. But once they claim asylum status, they must be housed and fed while their cases are considered. With appeals, the process can take several years, and only a few eventually are evicted. This is about to change radically. In January, Britain will adopt a speedy appeal procedure aimed at reducing the time spent processing asylum-seekers to a matter of weeks. And Germany's opposition Social Democratic Party this week is meeting to reach an agreement with Chancellor Helmut Kohl's ruling Christian Democrats on changes to Germany's constitution to make it easier to reject immigrants moving there for economic reasons. Dutch Labor and Liberal party politicians, who previously ignored the problem, now also are calling for the evictions of hoards of illegals from Africa and Eastern Europe who came to Holland seeking the good life under one of Europe's most generous welfare systems. What sparked the Dutch immigration debate was the crash last month of a 747 cargo plane into an apartment complex in suburban Amsterdam. The sprawling complex was one that houses illegals, and frustrated police have been able to identify only half of the estimated 60 persons killed because they had not registered at City Hall. Registration is required of anyone living in Amsterdam, but illegal immigrants get around the requirement by subleasing apartments. Labor Party Chairman Felix Rottenberg is also campaigning for a get-tough approach to immigration, with new fines for landlords who illegally rent apartments to unregistered residents and employers who hire them at salaries that undercut the minimum wage. "There is too much fraud, too much misuse of social security facilities, and too many illegals," Mr. Rottenberg said. But Justice Minister Ad Kosto says one major reason the Netherlands must adopt a get-tough immigration policy is to avoid being crushed by a flood of refugees. "For years on end, we Dutch were on the sideline of things as regards the influx of aliens because of the mild policy of admission pursued by the Germans," Mr. Kosto said. "If they adopt a more rigid policy now, it is obvious that the wave of immigrants into the Netherlands will grow." This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM