Police crack down on illegal aliens

THE HAGUE - The police will step up its supervision of aliens in order to reduce the number of illegal residents in the Netherlands. This year, the Aliens Police plans to transfer 4,800 illegal aliens to the Repatriation and Departure Service, an increase of 10 percent over the statistics of 2010. The plan is based on a performance agreement between the Aliens Police by Minister of Security and Justice Ivo Opstelten, Minister for Immigration, Integration and Asylum Policy Gerd Leers and top Dutch Police Chief Leon Kuijs. The primary focus will be on illegal aliens who are guilty of indictable or minor offences or antisocial behaviour. The police will also focus on failed asylum seekers and other aliens, who do not have a residence permit. The police will be more flexible with vulnerable groups such as minors, the elderly and infirm, and victims of human trafficking. Kerk in Actie (Church in Action), a diaconal agency, fears that the quota will lead to roundups by police. It points out that police could station themselves at the entrance of diaconal aid centres such as The Hague’s Stek and foodbanks and pick up needy aliens to help make their quota. Police union ACP has its own reservations about these plans.