In terms of where the parties weigh in on the issues of immigration and integration to the Netherlands, it was found that all of the election programs of the five parties went against European Union laws of immigration. According to professors migration law Thomas Spijkerboer (VU) and Kees Groenendijk (Nijmegen) the realization of the plans of VVD, PVV and SP would even be possible only after withdrawal of the Netherlands in the European Union. The SP platform calls for reintroduction of work permits for workers from Eastern Europe. This would be contrary to the free movement of EU citizens, which is one of the pillars of the European Union. The VVD wants integration seekers who fail the exam the Dutch language to be denying their right of residence. This is partly contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The PVV wants a quota set for asylum seekers to the limit of one thousand people per year. This contradicts the so-called "Dublin Regulation", which determines which countries are responsible for the recording of any asylum seekers. (one sentence omitted. Finally), the VVD would like these rules changed. Failing that, it would Netherlands through a so-called opt-out to take away a part of the Lisbon Treaty.
What else I took note of was the picture that the author and the
NRC used to signify this 'type' of immigration. Regardless if the women pictured in this photo are in fact the largest group(s) of migrants coming to the Netherlands (although from what I can tell the CBS does not analyse immigration in terms of religious identity) it is obvious from the association of the photograph which type of migrant that the leaders of political parties would like quash. This photo is, in short, very suggestive even if the political parties stop short of stating what this photo summarises in one snap shot.
Photo taken by: De inburgeringsplannen van vijf partijen stuiten op EU-wetten en -regelgeving. Foto NRC Handelsblad, Vincent Mentzel.
While I have no doubt that the above photo displays the kind of immigration that the leaders of the political parties are referring to (as evinced from the general context), the reader has no choice but to accept 'these types of migrants' in the photo as those migrants who the leaders are referring to. This is a bit of a simple observation I know but I feel the need to be critical of such an association since no such comments appeared as centre stage as this article did in yesterday's newspaper.
In my opinion, what I also think is important here is the fact that there is a very small likelihood of any of these immigration plans coming to fruition - if it means breaking ties with the European Union (EU). Breaking ties with the EU would (I'm guessing here...remember I'm an anthropologist and not a financial wizard) probably be much too expensive than any supposed solutions these policies would bring. I would also think that at a time of economic recession, breaking from the EU is not high on the Dutch populace's agenda.
My question is then, why are the parties even bringing these ideas into the public realm? Is this not just a cheap trick to get more publicity for the party? If so, I think that it is those who are, for example, pictured in photos concerning unwanted immigration to the Netherlands, the biggest losers in this political game; a game that from what I can tell, is taken from Wilders' play book. Counting the effects of both the conscious and unconscious messages that this article (and the election programs of the parties themselves) portrays, I believe the result will be an idea of a more separated instead of unified Dutch community. Is this really what elections are supposed to be about?
Okay, I'm done. I'd like to remind everyone (as I shiver in front of the computer, not from the cold but from this article) that this blog is a subjective work and as the author, I have the right to rant and rave every once and a while. Thanks for listening.
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