The Hague leaders of the ChristenUnie defended their choice in Ede to continue to support the asylum policy of the cabinet. Member of Parliament Don Ceder, among others, answered questions from members. Some emphasized that the party should stand up for refugees, others argued that there are also practical limits to the reception, for example because there are too few houses.
The reason for the meeting was a letter of protest from a number of critical members, who believe that the approach of the cabinet is too harsh. In particular, the suspension of family reunification was often discussed. Antonie Fountain, co-initiator of the letter, called it a “human rights violation” at Congress.
Ceder thought that was too big a word and spoke of an “administrative act”, although he repeatedly emphasized that he thinks it is a “rotten measure”. In any case, the parliamentary group wanted to ensure that the acute crisis in Ter Apel was alleviated, he said. “If I ask myself are we taking a step back or a step forward, I think we’re taking a step forward.”
tents
Party leader Gert-Jan Segers and Deputy Prime Minister Carola Schouten also spoke to answer questions from the 385 members in the room. The Haarlem city councilor Frank Visser received the loudest applause with his argument against the fact that tents were taken away in Ter Apel this summer while the shelter was full. “If there is no space, we will arrange a field somewhere a little further away. Because nobody sleeps on the street.”
A number of members also questioned whether a party meeting like this is the right form for a discussion about cabinet policy. “As if we ourselves as ChristenUnie have not chosen representatives who make very professional assessments,” said one of the members.
Nose bleeding
Segers said that he was happy with the trust, but also said that he should be able to have an “adult conversation” within the party. He also noted that there were an unusually high number of journalists at the congress, who as “disaster tourists” hoped to see “we give each other a bloody nose.”
In his closing speech, the ChristenUnie leader promised his party members that he would ensure that the important points for the ChristenUnie were delivered, so that his party’s concessions on asylum policy were not in vain. “That people will never, ever again sleep under the open sky. Because that is the lower limit for us.”