Various organizations that support undocumenteded, have already expressed their worries. Especially because of a controversial passage that would not only make illegality punishable, but also offering help to this group. The CDA, the NSC and the SGP did not want to participate. Minister Van Weel van Asiel reported last night that criminalization of illegality did not go into immediately, but that it will be on a break.
That does not remove the worries from the Amsterdam aldermen. “The room has shown itself from its most cynical side by choosing to make people’s lives in a hopeless situation even more than to do anything about the housing shortage,” says Zita Pels of public housing.
She also says she will not contribute to it. “As long as I am an alderman, we will do everything we can to let status holders participate in our city and therefore also let them live. With priority if necessary, as I have promised to my city council.”
Cup of soup
Relatively many undocumented people live in Amsterdam. Precise estimates are missing, but according to the last estimate there are 15,000. NGOs and care providers estimate that number at 30,000. The Senate still has to vote on the plans. Whether that happens will only be announced after the summer
Alderman Rutger Groot Wassink says that it will not mean for Amsterdam at the moment that they will do something else. “As long as there is no law, we will try to ensure that this law does not go through the Senate with all possible means. If you would give someone a cup of soup, you would already be punishable. That is of course an absurd situation. I cannot imagine that this will continue at all.”
‘Criminalized fellow humanity’
Groot Wassink says it has had many phone calls and apps from worried people today. “People are scared and panicked. I understand those worries, I also have those worries myself,” he says. “I am shocked that humanity is criminalized. Mercy is becoming punishable. That is unprecedented.”