12-year-old Mikael and his mother are allowed to stay in the Netherlands after all, a spokesperson for Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema confirmed on Monday. In April, Mikael’s last asylum request was rejected by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND), which meant that he would have to go to Armenia.
Mikael was born in a Dutch asylum center, goes to high school in Amsterdam and has never been to Armenia. Because that country is considered safe by the IND, his mother’s asylum request was rejected. Because she subsequently remained in the Netherlands without a permit, the Council of State decided in July 2024 that Mikael was not entitled to a Closure Scheme, which replaced the child pardon a few years ago.
Mikael’s lawyers submitted a new request, based on the fact that Mikael’s father does have a Dutch residence permit and he is partly responsible for the boy’s care. His father has a family with a Dutch woman and therefore has the right to reside in the Netherlands. The IND also rejected that application, because his mother would mainly take care of him.
Now both Mikael and his mother are allowed to stay “based on the relationship with his father,” writes the ANP news agency. It is not clear whether this was decided in an appeal procedure. Mikael’s lawyers could not be reached on Monday for questions NRC.
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Request to Faber
Mikael’s case has caused a lot of unrest in the past year. Solidarity marches were organised, Amsterdam mayor Halsema requested the then Minister of Asylum and Migration Marjolein Faber (PVV) to make an exception for Mikael.
“It is clear that there is no will to do that,” Halsema said after the IND’s decision in April. “It is incredibly harsh and sad that a 12-year-old boy, born and raised in the Netherlands, is the victim of this.” On Monday, Halsema called it “very nice” that for Mikael “this long period of fear and uncertainty is coming to an end and that Mikael can focus on his future,” ANP writes.
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