The Ali situation is being debated in the Dutch parliament

I asked a Dutch VFR reader how Rita Verdonk, the Dutch immigration minister, explains the fact that she did not declare Ali’s citizenship void years ago, when her lies originally came out. He answered:

She claims she did not officially know about it until last week.

However, there has been an “urgency debate” about the issue the WHOLE DAY now in the Dutch parliament. The large majority in parliament is somehow in favor of a finding a creative solution for Hirsi Ali, either by ignoring the current rules, re-interpreting case law, changing the law or, if all else fails, by speeding up a naturalization application.

One way or the other, it seems likely that Hirsi Ali will end up a Dutch citizen and her job with AEI should be safe.

The one who is in hot water now is the immigration minister, Rita Verdonk.

It’s a rather bizarre story. The essential problem is that the lies about Ayaan’s circumstances and especially country of origin have run out the applicable statute of limitations. Even if stripped of her nationality, she would therefore continue to have refugee status, which would allow her to remain in the Netherlands indefinitely and travel internationally. The original lies having been rendered irrelevant, legally, we’re stuck with the fact that she used a false name and false date of birth in her applications.

But the whole debate has been now descended into legalities and technicalities.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at May 16, 2006 07:45 PM | Send