The cabinet did not want to disclose with which country the bilateral migration partnership was concluded, which surprised the lawmakers. There will be “reluctant” communication about it, said Liesje Schreinemacher (Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation). “We will inform Parliament as soon as there is progress to report.”
Policy of alienating parties. “How can we control the government if we don’t even know who they are close to and what exactly it is about,” asked Stieneke van der Graaf (ChristenUnie). “Why can’t we be told more specifically?” It also remains unclear for Jan Klink (VVD).
‘Deep Cooperation’
It was difficult for Schreinemacher to explain. “We call it a partnership, but it’s really just a deep collaboration.” According to him, migration partnerships have no legal status. “The starting point is that it has to be effective and sustainable and an equal partnership based on common interests.”
According to the Minister of Finance, the partnership sees the “full breadth” of the collaboration. This may concern, for example, trade preferences, visas and project assistance. But it could also be about helping countries prevent the flow of migrants or the return of asylum seekers who have exhausted all legal avenues, he said.
Don’t mention other countries
He only referred to Morocco as a partner country. They also enter with countries in the Sahel, North Africa and the Middle East. Despite the MPs’ urging, the minister would not name any other countries. “I ask for understanding of the diplomatic interests involved in this,” Schreinemacher said. MPs will be told more in a secret briefing.
It is also known that a migration partnership has also been agreed with Niger – the center of migration routes. When the minister was in the country with Secretary of State Eric van der Burg (Asylum) in February, the ministers only announced the partnership after that. What the migration partnership with Niger will look like will be clarified later this year, they reported at the time.
Read more:
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By: Editorial
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