Immigration row plunges Dutch parliament into crisis

The Dutch parliament is holding crisis talks today after MPs passed a motion condemning its caretaker immigration minister for refusing to halt deportations of rejected asylum seekers until a new ruling coalition was formed.

Rita Verdonk, known as “Iron Rita” because of her crackdown on immigration in recent years, made no immediate comment but was expected to resign following last night’s motion.

Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende, whose caretaker Cabinet will meet today to discuss the crisis, warned the move could lead to a “constitutional stalemate” and observers said it was unprecedented for a caretaker minister to be forced to resign.

Read full article: Irish Examiner, 13 December 2006

DutchNews.nl also reports: Parliamentary crisis as MPs denounce Verdonk

Parliament is in crisis this morning after MPs passed a ‘motion of disapproval’ denouncing the controversial immigration minister Rita Verdonk during the debate on asylum seekers last night.

The exact consequences of such a motion is unclear as the wording deviates from the more usual ‘vote of no confidence’.

The expectation now is that all the ministers in Verdonk’s Liberal (VVD) party will step down. According to VVD leader Mark Rutte in today’s Volkskrant, the Christian Democrats should do the same. The CDA and VVD currently form a minority caretaker cabinet while a new coalition government is being formed.

A crisis meeting of the cabinet is to take place this morning.

Read article: DutchNews.nl, 13 December 2006