The cabinet may not delay the reunification of asylum seekers with their families in order to cope with the asylum crisis, the preliminary relief judge in Haarlem has ruled today. This puts the so-called family reunification measure in jeopardy.
In August, the restriction on family reunification was introduced. But in a case about a Syrian woman who has been granted an asylum permit in the Netherlands, the preliminary relief judge now rules that her Syrian family members must be immediately admitted to the Netherlands. They don’t have to wait half a year first.
If an asylum seeker is allowed to stay in the Netherlands and receives a residence permit, he has the right to bring the family to the Netherlands. In fact, international treaties oblige countries to treat applications for family reunification from children with benevolence, humanity and urgency.
The Netherlands is currently unable to cope with the high influx of refugees, which is why the cabinet devised a ruse: a temporary measure allowed family reunification to be postponed for six months, especially if no home was available. For example, it was believed that a balance had been struck between the best interests of the child in both suitable housing and the exercise of the right to family reunification.
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