'Refugee amnesty covers 27,500'

Friday 01 February 2008

Some 27,500 asylum seekers have been given permits to stay in the Netherlands under the government's amnesty, sources told news agency ANP.

When the plan was drawn up last year, ministers said between 25,000 and 30,000 people would qualify.

The amnesty applies to asylum seekers who arrived in the Netherland before April 2001 and whose cases have still not been finalised. War criminals and others who have committed crimes are excluded from the amnesty, as are their families.

Junior justice minister Nebahat Albayrak is due to present the definitive figures to the cabinet on Friday.

© DutchNews.nl

Comments have been closed for this article.