Country report on Eritrea claims Eritrean refugees are treated better on return
24 Apr 2018

Country report on Eritrea claims Eritrean refugees are treated better on return

by | posted in: Africa, Asylum Seekers, Eritrea, European Politics, Horn of Africa region, Migration, Netherlands, The Netherlands, United Nations | 0

In an episode of Dutch investigative radio programme Argos, the matter of controversial country reports, which are used in asylum decisions, was raised. Anonymous sources, such as those used in reports on Afghanistan and Eritrea, have a large impact on the content of the important reports, determining (possible) return of asylum seekers. In 2017, The Netherlands made a country report on Eritrea, which received criticism for its tone, which was more positive than the 2016 report. Prof. Mirjam van Reisen explains this criticism on the Dutch radio programme Argos on NPO radio 1.

Dutch minister Sigrid Kaag calls for closure of Libyan detention centres
3 Apr 2018

Dutch minister Sigrid Kaag calls for closure of Libyan detention centres

by | posted in: Africa, Asylum Seekers, Detention, European Union, Horn of Africa region, Human Trafficking, IOM, Libya, Mediterranean Sea, Migration, Netherlands, The Netherlands, Torture, UNHCR, United Nations | 0

After paying a visit to a detention centre in Libya, the Dutch minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Sigrid Kaag, has declared that the conditions are inhumane. She calls for the closure of the detention centres as soon as possible. She is reported to be the first EU policy maker to openly state this. She continues that alternatives such as open reception centres should be created.

Head of Eritrean embassy office in The Hague declared ‘persona non grata’
17 Jan 2018

Head of Eritrean embassy office in The Hague declared ‘persona non grata’

by | posted in: EEPA news and activities, Eritrea, Netherlands, The Netherlands | 0

17 January 2018 – The Dutch Government has declared the head of the Eritrean embassy office in The Hague ‘persona non grata’ and has demanded his immediate departure. The decision followed a motion issued by the Dutch parliament to close the Eritrean embassy. The decision for dismissal was made after reports of the intimidation and coercion, especially connected to the collection of the 2% Eritrean diaspora tax, stirred political and societal unrest in the Netherlands. In addition, the Dutch government was shocked by evidence of coercion to pay the tax and to sign a ‘regret form’ recorded by Dutch radio programme Argos.