Everywhere in the country the church bells rang especially for them, and that felt good. The campaign draws attention to 420 children who live in uncertainty about whether they can stay in the Netherlands. Including the children of the Babayants family from Uzbekistan. They have been given church asylum in Kampen since 2024.
“It was very special,” says Aram about the moment the bells rang. “It gave me a warm feeling. It showed that we are widely supported in these difficult times. Sometimes you don’t feel heard in The Hague, but when the bells ring throughout the country, it really helps.”
“We grew up here and share Dutch norms and values,” says Aram. “We just want to participate in society and be part of it. We would like to move on. This is our home.”
The bell campaign is in line with the church asylum that has now been granted to the family in the Open Hof in Kampen for 500 days.
According to the initiators, 420 children are in a similar situation. “Although their voices in public and political debate often remain too quiet to be heard, churches can help carry that voice by ringing their bells at the same time.”
The Babayants family received bad news at the beginning of this month: asylum and migration minister Bart van den Brink (CDA) does not want to make an exception for the family. He points out that the procedure is the same for every asylum seeker.
“At the end of each procedure, the IND makes a decision and the judge reviews it again. If no grounds are found to grant asylum, it means that people have to find their future prospects in the place where they came from.”
The Babayants family went through that procedure and did not receive a residence permit. According to the minister, an exceptional position is therefore not appropriate.
