According to a report that was published by the NRC on Wednesday, the European Commission is angered by a new Dutch immigration rule that is meant to deport jobless EU citizens. The commission said it will take legal actions against the Netherlands if it goes ahead and repatriate EU citizens who remain jobless for three months.
NRC’s claim was based on a letter that was written by the Commission and addressed to the home affairs minister, Henk Kamp and also to the immigration minister Gerd Leers. Last year, Kamp said jobless people from Eastern Europe should be deported from the Netherlands if they are not prepared to willingly leave the country.
According to EU laws, EU nationals have up to six months to find work in another European country, before they have to return home. To enable them stay longer, they must be able to demonstrate they have ‘a serious chance’ of finding a job.
Social security
The paper also reported that the Commission is not happy with another new decision the Netherlands has taken in regards to social security. Under this rule, people working in the Netherlands but living in another EU country will not be eligible for social security rights. According to the commission, such a decision defies the EU’s rules on the rights of workers living in border areas.
The letter is signed by employment commissioner Laszlo Andor and justice commissioner Viviane Reding. It was sent at the end of last year and has not yet received an answer.
According to the content of the letter, the European Commission has ‘serious concerns’ about the position the Netherlands has taken and it is unwilling to accept any compromise in such a ‘serious question’ as the right of free movement among people in the EU.
Follow Afrocosmopolitan on Instagram and like the AfroCosmopolitan Facebook page.