The Netherlands sets human rights aside – NRC
After reading the article about the ‘return deal’ between the Netherlands and the Moroccan regime in NRC, Criticism of Morocco: only behind the scenes (1/10), a friend texted me: „Well, this soup is bad, Said. Could it also be the intention that Morocco, for example, sends a blacklist to the Netherlands to arrest activists?” This comment is marked by the reaction of many Moroccan Dutch to the reports about the bilateral negotiations surrounding the ‘return deal’. The aim of those negotiations is, among other things, the exploration of an extradition treaty between Morocco and the Netherlands.
Although everything is still clear, the government will have to surrender in exchange for the return of Moroccan asylum seekers, especially those who have not been provided with ‘safe immigrants’. In any case, the Dutch government about the violation of human rights in Morocco.
How this intention relates to the tweets of Minister Wopke Hoekstra of Foreign Affairs (CDA) during the UN summit last month can only be guessed. The minister spoke about “The right to be and express yourself” as a human right that the Netherlands will always protect. He spoke out for free and pluralistic media. Both rights are being violated on a large scale in Morocco, Human Rights Watch has recently expanded on. The Dutch cabinet has been scrupulously silent about Morocco’s repressive practices for the past two years and now that silence seems to have become official policy.
Morocco would like to conclude an extradition treaty with the Netherlands. The fear is that some kind of treaty will have major consequences for Moroccan Dutch citizens whom the Moroccan government considers suspicious or even criminal. Will the Netherlands agree to supply Dutch people of Moroccan votes? There is no certainty that this will not happen. What we know for sure is that the Dutch government is committed to Morocco’s blackmail policy.
The transaction about what the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs will do in exploratory talks with his Moroccan counterpart, many problems among Moroccan Dutch. This exploration is part of an action plan between the Netherlands and Morocco, which countries both joined in July last year. The House of Representatives is not allowed to see this secret plan. Repeated powers of MPs are to no avail.
This transaction is the background of my friend’s communication. It is also the reason for many beneficial. The hope is now pinned on the House of Representatives, especially the coalition parties, that they will not exchange the Dutch principles and Dutch citizens for the deportation of a group of registered asylum seekers. A group of rightly big concerns in our society
Alphen aan den Rijn
A version of this article also in the newspaper of October 8, 2022