It goes without saying that all governments throughout the six Continents incite racial hatred via their immigration and nationality laws, rules and regulations. So, where do we go from here?
Root cause of immigration problems
The Dutch government should, before the next General Election in the Netherlands, chair an International Conference to discuss this 70-year old Convention. The Hague Convention is causing millions of people across the six Continents heartaches and headaches, over immigration, citizenship or nationality. We would argue that the Netherlands owes the rest of the world an important duty of care over that Convention.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights of December 10 1948, at Article 15 challenges the Hague Convention.The European Convention of 1963 also challenges the Hague Convention. The ICJ in a 1953 Report also challenges The Hague Convention. Those challenges have never had any impact on the Convention.
It is weird that a 70-year old Convention is still able to go on a rampage of the Universe, like a runaway juggernaut lorry, without brakes, and without a clutch, moaning people down in its path.
Impact of the Convention
Whichever country is in one’s contemplation, sadly all of the undocumented or paperless people are treated less humanely than the government of any such country would treat their own nationals or citizens. They have rights, too, but no one recognises those rights. More important, they have the Right of Habitation. It is worth pointing out that more often than not, one hears the same phrase over and over again - "You have no right to be in the Netherlands"
World without passports
Dutch Churches
There are thousands of paperless or undocumented people in the 12 Regions of the Netherlands. These people are desperate to learn the Dutch language. A mastery of the Dutch language is one sure route towards the acquisition of Dutch citizenship. Yet many undocumented or paperless people are scared to go anywhere near the Stadhuis [City Hall] for fear of deportation
In consequences, Churches in different parts of the Netherlands are the ones doing social welfare work, looking after the undocumented, providing them with food, and some times, providing the undocumented with board and lodging. This is an embarrassing scenario situation for the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry is looking more and more like an uncaring mother-in-law.
The Churches too, are having their own problems, problems not of their own choosing. There are stories of Churches being closed down and the undocumented in the care of those Churches going on the run.
UN Programmes
Without the Churches, without some UN Programmes operating in the Netherlands, such as the Food Bank [De Voedselbank],Clothes Bank [Kledingbank], and other Humanitarian programmes funded by public-spirited people and companies in the Netherland. Most of the undocumented people in the Netherlands would die in the streets,they would die of starvation, but for the kindness of many Dutch people in ordinary walks of life, who are doing things for the undocumented, for no reward whatsoever.
What kind of system of Democracy denies the old, and infirm hospital treatment or denies them the right to see a doctor when they are ill - all of these things are happening to the undocument in the Netherlands. They should not be happening, no matter what the circumstances of those people.
Another pathetic method used by the State against the undocumented in the Netherlands is refusal to issue a "Sofi number"/"BSN". Without a Sofi or BSN number, those people are not entitled to any basic rights.
I am also amazed at the lack of compassion often shown by some Foundations, that receive money from the State Rather than do good for the undocumented, some of those Foundations go the other way, 360 degree.
Riding on the back of UK
Many institutions that are involved in implementing Dutch government policy over immigration, citizenship or nationality, somehow follow in a rather sheepish way what goes on in the UK. The popular saying; namely, "You do not have the right to be in the Netherlands" is the same language used by UK Border Agency officers at Calais against immigrants who are trying to enter the UK. The people of the Netherlands should stop copying bad things that our own UK Border Agency officials are doing to the undocumented. Although we are a Christian society in the UK, our Home Office disgraces Humanity and there is nothing that the European Union can do to correct the injustices that we do in the name of justice. But surely, the Nethelerlands is not a British colony. So, what is the point of copying everything, bad, good, or indifferent that UK Border Agency does?
Politics of integration
It is difficult to understand just how the politics of integration is working in the Netherlands. It does not seem to be working. It appears as though the country is back to the era of Mevr. Rita van Donk. Mevr. Van Donk was uncompromising and did not seem to have any kind of maternal instinct.
In the present climate of draconian immigration and nationality laws, rules and regulations, the undocumented or paperless are suspicious of the authorities. They are scared to come out into the open. Can you blame them? Should we not enquire how those people survive? After all, they have needs like the rest of us.
Uncertainties in the law
Information provided by the Dutch Ministry of Justice and posted on the Internet does not always match the reality of the situation. For example, some nice words are written, in relation to issues such as residence permits, the rights or entitlements of senior citizens from other European countries, access to basic rights, housing, or travel passes, etcetera, etcetera.
In practice, those things do not happen. Consequently, hopes are crushed and the undocumented are left in a limbo.
Clarification of the law
Most courts in most jurisdictions take precautions when they are handling high profile cases. Fortunately the judicial standards in the Netherlands are very high. Dutch Judges do try to uphold the integrity of their country’s legal system. Judges in the Netherlands recognise the importance of the PEACE PALACE in Den Haag.
PEACE PALACE is the “home office” of the International Court of Justice. I use the term “home office” to signpost where the International Court of Justice sleeps at night and works during the day.
The importance of the PEACE PALACE and its contribution to the world cannot be underestimated. The Dutch government should capitalise on the country’s unique place in the world. With PEACE PALACE on its soil, nothing should stop the government from showing the sort of leadership that many other countries in the European Union have forfeited.
To summarise, the indirect effect of incitement to racial hatred, anti-Semitism, or xenophobia is that the law excuses the conduct of the extremist.
In a matter of weeks from now the Democracy Clock will be available by mail order. So far, all indications are that the Netherlands is ahead of some 114 countries by a reasonable percentage point, even though there are many more countries to be put on the Democracy Clock, to be weighed.
Our wish is for the Dutch government to place more emphasis on Humanity and less on passports, identity cards and other documents. These papers may mean a great deal to civil servants but in the final analysis, human beings matter more than cardboards and hardboards.