Amsterdam: Two criminal Moroccans threatened with deportation

Amsterdam: Two criminal Moroccans threatened with deportation

This story has been in the news for the past week.

The story started when the police and mayor of the Amsterdam district of Slotervaart wanted to deport two Moroccan brothers who are part of a criminal youth group which hangs around the Piet Mondriaanstraat.  These two brothers, like 80% of the group, are not Dutch citizens and are in the Netherlands on a residence permit.

The two are about twenty years old and have been living for 15 years in the Netherlands.  They also forgot to extend their residence permit and according to the police, have been in the country for some period illegally.

The Dutch immigration service (INS) usually only deports criminals if they've been in the Netherlands for less than five years.

Ahmed Marcouch, the Slotervaart mayor, said that if they're not Dutch citizens, you must ask yourself what's the point of them being in the Netherlands.  Deporting them would have a preventative effect and show that the Netherlands doesn't welcome people who are a danger.  These people don't want Dutch citizenship but rather prefer to extend their residence permit every five years, Marcouch explained, because they have nothing to do with the Netherlands.

Newspaper AD visited the Piet Mondriaanstraat to interview Moroccan youth, who were very upset at Marcouch.  Hicham Achiban (21) told AD that Marcouch is worse than Geert Wilders.  Mohamed (19) said that these are his brothers, and they already served out theri sentence.  He says that when Marcouch wanted their votes, he came begging to them, but now he wants to throw them out. He is a Moroccan, but he throws his own people out of the country.  Another called Marcouch a profiteer and traitor, saying that Marcouch is not a judge, he hates him and that Marcouch should set fire to himself.

One of the brothers meanwhile got a new residence permit.  The INS wanted to declare him a 'undesirable alien' for the number of crimes he committed, but the judge dismissed the request.  The PVV in Parliament is demanding answers from State Secretary Nebahat Albaryark (Justice) regarding this decision.  The other brother's case is still ongoing. 

The Amsterdam Moroccan Forum (AMF), an umbrella organization of 17 Moroccan-Dutch organization, met Wednesday to discuss the deportation case.  They say that many Moroccans in Amsterdam are indignant and offended by the deportation decision, since the brothers have been living in the city for so long.

The AMF released a statement saying that they are disappointed Marcouch is taking on himself the job of Minister of Justice.  They accuse him of not having vision and responsibility.  The AMF would have preferred he come up with solutions based on an analysis of the problem, and which lead to an improvement for the entire group of youth.

They say the decision to deport the boys is unacceptable, because it offers no structural solution and since these boys have no prospects in Morocco.  They also think it's tragic for their sick mother.  The AMF thinks the boys should be given an opportunity to restart their lives in the Netherlands.

The AMF formed a work-group to follow the case and assist the boys' family.

Sources: AD, De Telegraaf 1, 2, Allochtonen Weblog (Dutch)

No comments: