Rita Verdonk

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Rita Verdonk
Minister for Integration, youth care, prevention and probation
In office 2003 – 2007
Preceded by	Hilbrand Nawijn
Succeeded by	post discontinued
Born	October 18, 1955 Utrecht, Netherlands
Political party	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
Website	www.ritaverdonk.nl

Drs. Maria Cornelia Frederika ("Rita") Verdonk (born 18 October 1955) is a Dutch politician, was the Minister for Immigration and Integration, later Immigration, Juvenile Protection, Prevention and Probation in the Third Balkenende cabinet.^[1] Verdonk is a member of the liberal VVD party and now serves as member of parliament for this party.

Contents 1 Minister for Integration 1.1 Outgoing minister 1.2 Policy 2 Criticism 3 2006 Bid for VVD leadership 4 External links 5 References

[edit] Minister for Integration

In 2003, Verdonk was appointed Minister for Integration and Immigration. She soon developed a reputation for toughness and outspokenness, with her uncompromising immigration policies earning her the nickname IJzeren Rita (Iron Rita). Verdonk enjoys a rare level of recognition and popularity amongst voters, but is also reviled by many as a populist with an impulsive style of governing. In a few incidents she has been attacked physically for her policies, in June 2004 Verdonk was smeared with ketchup by two members of an extreme left organisation ^[2]. These small incidents, combined with the murders of Pim Fortuyn in 2002 and Theo van Gogh in 2004 were reasons for the Dutch Ministry of Home Affairs to monitor Verdonk's security tightly.

On May 16, 2006, Verdonk has been criticized by prominent members of her own political party, the VVD, MP Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Gerrit Zalm, deputy prime minister. Verdonk decided, based on a recent ruling by the Hoge Raad (Supreme court), that Hirsi Ali never had acquired Dutch citizenship. According to the High Counsel, unless very special circumstances have arisen, a decision to grant someone Dutch citizenship cannot be valid if the subject had lied about his or her name and date of birth. In a broadcast on the Dutch public network, Hirsi Ali had declared that she had lied about her name and date of birth during the procedure. The decision by Verdonk caused a lot of controversy: VVD-deputy prime minister Zalm said he was surprised that events known for years suddenly resulted in action by Verdonk two days after a television broadcast about the past of Hirsi Ali. He said Verdonk has disqualified herself from being #1 candidate for the VVD in the coming elections^[3]. In a session in parliament on the issue of Hirsi Ali's citizenship (a unique event on itself), Verdonk stated that she had no choice in this matter because Hirsi Ali's passport was issued with an incorrect name and incorrect date of birth. Some members of parliament suggested that Verdonk's stern actions were a result of her political ambitions in the 2006 VVD leadership elections ^[4]. The result of the debate was that Verdonk promised to have another look at the case and see if there was a way to have Hirsi Ali keep her citizenship.

On June 27, 2006 Verdonk informed parliament of her decision to allow MP Ayaan Hirsi Ali her Dutch passport. According to Verdonk, Hirsi Ali had presented to her new convincing evidence regarding the appropriateness of her last name and on retrospection the false date of birth did not carry that much weight. The next day, a parliamentary debate took place, in which minister Verdonk and prime-minister Jan Peter Balkenende were questioned by the parliament about the decision. Although the debate for a long time seemed to be stalwart, it took a quite drastic turn when the prime-minster, at the end of the first period of the debate, stated that Hirsi Ali had to sign a letter in which she took the blame for the whole situation in order to retain her citizenship. Otherwise, the solution would not be acceptable for minister Verdonk. In the second period of the debate, a vote of no confidence was proposed by the green party GroenLinks, which was, among others, supported by the Balkenende cabinet coalition partner Democrats 66. The vote did not meet the required majority though, as the right-wing populist LPF opposed it. Because a coalition partner supported the motion—a unique situation in itself for Dutch politics—the Balkenende cabinet had to decide if this had consequences for Rita Verdonk as minister, and the second Balkenende cabinet.

Van Beek, a MP for the VVD, stated after the debate that it would be almost unthinkable that if Verdonk resigned, the cabinet would stay intact, as one the coalition partners of the cabinet had lost its confidence in the minister.^[5]. D66, feeling unsatisfied that minister Verdonk did not resign because of the debate, withdrew its support for the cabinet, resulting in its fall on June 29^[6].

[edit] Outgoing minister

On November 30 2006 the new parliament, which was elected in the elections a week earlier was sworn in. On November 1, Labour Party leader Wouter Bos proposed a motion for what in effect would constitute a general pardon to an estimated 26000 asylum seekers who asked for asylum longer than five years ago and who had asylum applications turned down under the previous cabinet and in the Justice system ^{[7] [8] [9]} During her tenure as Minister for Immigration she had specifically cited the rejection of those 26000 as an example of her toughening of the immigration laws (see Policy below). The motion was passed with a 75-74 majority with Verdonk's VVD, Prime Minister Balkenende's CDA, and the rightwing PVV and SGP parties dissenting. Both Verdonk now demissionair and Prime Minister Balkenende criticized the motion, and there was speculation that this could have led to Verdonk resigning from the cabinet. ^[10].

On December 3 after several meetings the cabinet decided not to honor the motion because the pardon would be impossible to carry out but agreed to a further postponement of expulsions until after a special parliamentary session held on December 12 ^[11].

During the December 12 session a motion was started by the PvdA that asked Verdonk again not to take any action on extraditions until the new cabinet was formed. This motion was again supported by all the leftwing and centre-left parties. The coalition of those parties passed the motion 76-72 in the ensuing vote. Verdonk, however, claimed this motion amounted to a de facto pardon and affirmed her stance that any pardon was unenforceable. She also declared that the extraditions would continue after the debate was over, so before the cabinet could make an official statement the next day. Verdonk also refused to postpone those extraditions for another 24 hours until a new debate could take place the next day. As a reaction the whole parliament asked for an official statement from the cabinet that same evening^[12]. Following an additional debate, during Prime Minister Balkenende again declared that Verdonk had the full support of the cabinet, a motion of no confidence was accepted by the same coalition of left-wing parties. Before the vote took place Mark Rutte declared that should Verdonk resign, all VVD ministers would join her. ^{[13] [14]}. The cabinet was in a 10 hour meeting on December 13 before deciding that all ministers would stay on and that Hirsch Ballin would take over Verdonks responsibility for immigration. ^[15] In exchange, Verdonk added Hirsch Ballin's justice department responsibilities over youth care, prevention and probation to her portfolio. Ballin could then execute the December 12 motion started by the PvdA, and postpone the extraditions of asylum seekers until a new cabinet is formed, with the provision that they are to be based on humanitarian grounds such as the responsibility for under-age children. ^[16].

On February 22, 2007 she stood down as minister when the fourth cabinet Balkenende was installed. Her portfolios were taken over by Ella Vogelaar (integration) and Nebahat Albayrak (migration).

[edit] Policy

Verdonk's most discussed propositions and decisions are:

• In order to reduce migration through marriage, she has proposed that partners of Dutch citizens are only allowed to immigrate into the Netherlands if the Dutch partner earns more than 120% of the minimum income.^[17]
• She refused to grant a general pardon to around 26,000 asylum seekers who had their asylum application turned down but who have been living in the Netherlands for more than 5 years. Since they had entered the Netherlands before the new Foreigner law, a special arrangement was required. Instead of a general pardon Verdonk chose a case by case approach.
• To integrate migrants into the Dutch society, every person who wants to immigrate into the Netherlands must pass an integration test, except for those who come from other European Union-member states, United States, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand (these immigrants must still take a year of integration classes). It tests knowledge of the Dutch language, political system and social conventions. The test must be taken before entering the Netherlands, preferably in a Dutch embassy in the country of origin.
• "Oudkomers", migrants who have lived in the Netherlands for a long time, but are not "integrated", are also requested to take the exam. She has also attempted to apply make these tests mandatory for Dutch nationals who were born and raised outside the Netherlands . The constitutionality of these tests, especially its application to oudkomers and Dutch nationals has been questioned both by the Council of State, which advises government on all proposed laws, and various parties in the parliament including the VVD, her own party. These proposals will come into effect in January 2007.

Minister Verdonk was called to parliament for the following issues:

• In October 2005 it was discovered that civil servants of the Immigration & Naturalisation Services had informed the Congolese embassy and authorities that several of the people sent back to the Democratic Republic of Congo had claimed asylum in the Netherlands. This information is considered confidential and should not have been disclosed to the Congolese authorities. Verdonk at first denied any wrongdoing on behalf of herself or her civil servants, but later admitted that in a several cases the Congolese embassy had been informed of the fact that several of the returnees had applied for asylum in the Netherlands. According to members of the opposition this information could put returnees (in this case to Congo) at risk of torture but no evidence of this has been put forward by any party or organisation. Verdonk maintains that no other sensitive information was transferred to the Congolese authorities in accordance with the findings of a special committee (Commissie Havermans).
• In December 2005, a cell-complex for denied refugees at Amsterdam airport burned down after a fire had been started by one of the refugees. Eleven refugees died, and surviving refugees reported that they had to wait more than 45 minutes before being released from their cell. Also a man suspected of connections with terrorist organizations had been able to escape. Before the fire's investigation was completed, Verdonk stated that prison workers adequately handled the circumstances. Subsequently, in September 2006, she granted temporary stay permits to many of the victims of the Schiphol airport detention center fire, overriding the court hearing procedures.

As a minister, Verdonk has proposed the following, which have not become law:

• In October 2005, Verdonk proposed a ban on Muslim women wearing the burqa in public places, on the grounds that the burqa, which covers the face, is a security risk since suicide bombers could use it as a disguise. She also cancelled a meeting with Dutch Muslim leaders when one of (the 30 of) them would not shake hands with her, because she is a woman. She has said that "the time for cosy tea-drinking" Muslim groups had passed.
• In January 2006, Verdonk proposed the adoption of a national code of conduct, listing the most important conventions of Dutch society, to facilitate the integration of migrants. She was inspired by a similar initiative undertaken by the Rotterdam municipality. One of the obligations would be for everybody to speak the Dutch language in the streets. ^{[18] [19]}
• Upon receiving Dutch citizenship, immigrants would have to sing the first stanza of the national anthem, the Wilhelmus.
• In March 2006, Verdonk considered sending homosexual asylum seekers from Iran back because they are no longer prosecuted, despite the general public conception that acts of homosexuality were still punishable by death. She noted that homosexuality in itself is not punishable by death sentence in Iran. In response to parliamentary criticism, the Minister announced on March 4 that all asylum cases involving homosexual Iranians would be assessed on an individual basis ^[20]

Most of her executed policy comes down to a strict application of the Alien Integration Act of 1998 (Wet Inburgering Nieuwkomers), which was introduced by Job Cohen, the social democratic junior minister of Justice in the Second Cabinet Kok.

[edit] Criticism

• Verdonks eviction policies were criticised in the tv series 26 000 gezichten (26 000 faces), in which the personal lives of these people were shown, in the hope that public opinion would change if people were to see that these were also friendly, ordinary people. A similar comparison was made in the historic tv show Andere Tijden, in which it was compared with operation Black Tulip, a plan to evict a similar amount of Germans, which, after initial popular support, was stopped when people found out that it was about 'those friendly neighbours'.
• In January 2006, Verdonk received the Dutch Big Brother Award for "promoting privacy violations".
• In Amnesty International's magazine Wordt Vervolgd, former threefold Prime Minister and UN commissioner for refugees Ruud Lubbers said that "Verdonk should not finish her job" and "The Netherlands are in a spasm (...) It would help if we could 'de-Verdonk' the situation".
• In December 2006, Verdonk was elected 'worst politician' by her colleague members of parliament, in a poll by the current affairs television program Een Vandaag, qualifying her as an 'elephant in a china cabinet' (a Dutch expression), ruthless and incompetent. In a similar poll, the program's viewers put Verdonk in second placed on both the 'best politician' and 'worst politician' lists. In both polls, Jan Marijnissen was elected 'best politcian'. [2]

[edit] 2006 Bid for VVD leadership

On April 4, 2006, Verdonk announced her ambition to become political leader and succeed Jozias van Aartsen as the lijsttrekker of the VVD for the coming elections, at the time expected in to take place 2006. Her direct competitors in the leadership election were staatssecretaris of Education Mark Rutte and MP Jelleke Veenendaal. Although her political views on subjects other then immigration and integration had mostly been unclear, she was a likely candidate. Shortly after announcing she would be candidate, a poll for the RTL 4 News estimated that 56% of the people preferred Verdonk as the leader of the VVD. Rita Verdonk was advised by Kay van der Linden, who also played a part in anti-immigration politician Pim Fortuyn's 2002 election campaign, which was cut short by his assassination on May 6. Several of her statements and policies seem to exploit xenophobic emotions in the country. On an official visit to Morocco, when visiting a poor neighbourhood, she remarked "I do not understand why these Moroccans come to the Netherlands. There is so much work to do here". She also proposed a national code of conduct which would oblige everyone to speak Dutch in the streets.^[18]

On May 31, 2006, Verdonk lost out to Mark Rutte in the 2006 VVD leadership election with 46% of the vote^[21].

Telegraaf reported on 23 June 2006 that Verdonk discussed policies with Marco Pastors of Leefbaar Rotterdam^[22]. The news report fueled fears that Verdonk might leave the VVD in order to form a new right-wing political party allied with Leefbaar Rotterdam and List Pim Fortuyn. Verdonk denied this rumour^[23]

In the 2006 election Verdonk received a greater number of preference votes (620,555) than the VVD lijsttrekker Mark Rutte (553,200).^[24]. As a direct consequence on November 28 she held a press conference in which she urged the party to rethink their policies via a special committee. She also expressed her desire to become party leader but would for the present remain loyal to Rutte. ^[25] A few hours later on November 28, after meeting with the party, she withdrew both of her ideas. The chances of Verdonk to become party leader decreased with this action of hers, described as an "attempted coup" by media and party members. ^[26]

On January 21 2007 NRC Handelsblad profiled Verdonk (caption: Holland at my feet) observing that her election-campaign team was not resolved and that she was still determined to grab the VVD leadership possibly right after the March provincial 2007 elections in the event that her opponent Rutte would again perform poorly.

[edit] External links

• Official website
• Official Rita Verdonk campaign website

[edit] References

Political offices
Preceded by Hilbrand Nawijn	Dutch Minister for Integration and Immigration 2003–December 13, 2006	Succeeded by incumbent
Preceded by n.a.	Dutch Minister for Integration December 14, 2006–	Succeeded by n.a.