DutchNews, January
31, 2017
Several dozen people protested against the ban at Schiphol airport on Sunday. Photo: Joris van Gennip via HH |
The Dutch government has halted talks with the US on setting up
border and customs controls at Schiphol airport because of president Donald
Trump’s entry ban.
The talks on allowing the US to carry out pre-clearance
checks on travellers to the US while on Dutch soil began in December. The aim
was to help travellers bypass long waits at US passport control.
Foreign
minister Bert Koenders told MPs on Tuesday that the talks had been suspended
temporarily.
MPs from across the political spectrum criticised prime minister
Mark Rutte for not coming to parliament for Tuesday’s question and answer
session.
The prime minister, as the keeper of Dutch values, should have been in
parliament to denounce racism and discrimination, Socialist Party leader Emile
Roemer said.
Human rights
Koenders and PVV leader Geert Wilders clashed over
Wilders support for the ban. ‘You want to ensure than human rights do not apply
to everyone,’ Koenders told the MP, pointing out that the ban affected Iraqi
soldiers who had fought with the US against Isis.
‘You are making the world a
less safe place,’ Koenders said.
Koenders also said that the cabinet wants to
ensure people with dual nationality who have been hit by the ban are properly
protected. He has called a meeting of European ambassadors in Washington to
discuss the situation.
Academics
DutchNews.nl is aware of at least one dual
Dutch Iranian academic who was supposed to travel to New York this week for
research.
‘This order bans many of my Iranian friends, especially those who
work in academia from attending conferences, research visits, or even going
back to their work although they have valid US visa,’ he told DutchNews.nl.
‘These are highly intelligent decent young engineers, doctors, researchers,
faculty members and PhD students who are contributing to the society that they
live in.’
The ban will also be an important point on the agenda at the European
summit on Malta at the end of this week.
Schiphol
Ministers are also talking to
Schiphol airport and KLM to ensure people caught up in the ban are looked after
as well as possible.
DutchNews.nl reported on Sunday that six Iranian nationals
had been stuck at Schiphol airport after KLM refused to fly them to the US.
When asked if any special provisions had been made to help them, Schiphol said
it was up to the airline concerned.
The six are expected to fly back to Iran on
Tuesday afternoon.
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