I think he's absolutely correct in that case..so agree with Leers.

No he is wrong.Mr Leers should remeber his own roots as an immigrant.However thats easy to forget when you have the power and I don't expect him to think with his heart ..He dose not have one.The mind boggles as to why he has not joined the PVV.

It is a sad state of affairs, but Holland should not accept child refugees only because they have been here for x years. It would be better to pay for a programme in their homeland that assists with helping them assimilate after returning home. Being in your home country with your own people is always better in the long run. Just because you stay x years in a country does not necessarily mean that you are assimilated in that country and it is the best option for you in the long term. It would be wiser to make a time limit of 2 years for refugees and the government to decide on a binding Yea or Nay for each refugee.

after five years living in the country, someone must be given the nationality apart from if is crmininal. But I suppose after those years, the person has lost all connexion with his prior country.

No, Leers is NOT right to take this hard line! Anyone would not think twice about it, recognising that the world (especially fellow human beings) cannot always be put into pre-defined little boxes. In other words, there will always be exceptions to the rules. Eventhough this decision by Leers is despicable, it is not surprising as the Dutch famously tend to hide behind their esclamation "regels zijn regels" (rules are rules) if something out of the ordinary is being asked of them. Holland is proud to have moved to the hard right in matters concerning immigration.

Enough misuse of government benefits by immigrants,asylum seeker.A good decision to be more fruitful

What the Minister did is right.

I think that it is better to have all these refugee cases decided quickly, for the sake of everyone involved. It shouldn't take 7 years to decide all but very few cases (today is the opposite) of asylum applications.

If some refugees are allowed to stay, I'm against granting them citizenship unless they renounce to their former citizenship (from the country they fled), but even so only for children born here (parents should have permanent residency but not citizenship).

If the children are not responsible for all the wrongs that have happened in the world, and in their country; and that they were, literally, shipped here for safety, then why are you penalising them by sending them back to the very place that traumatises them? If they have spent MORE TIME here in The Netherlands than in their homeland, what makes you think that they are better off there?
His decision is wrong, wrong, wrong.

Lets just hope none of your children are put in a similar situation. We will see if people will still talk about who is right or wrong. These decisions are based on money. You can not weigh up money against humanity...
Personally, even if I had nothing, I will still share it with these poor kids....
shame on you Leers.This was not a decision with your head, but with your Arse.

I agree with Joseph. If there's a problem that is no fault of the refugee, they shouldn't have to suffer for it.

And I'm an immigrant, Parvez. I've never collected benefits. And I'm sick of the stereotyping by people who don't actually know any immigrants or refugees personally.

Very rightful decision. Else asylum seeker will join Netherlands and granted amnesty in few years. Later the situation will be like what is with greece, italy and spain with full of immigrants

I do not agree with Leers, I believe he is still being to soft, a much harder line is required!

Tt is sad but for long term, this is the right move. It will also encourage these people to stay and fight for peace in their own countries instead of fleeing.

Mr. Parvez Akhter, you can't generalise that all immigrants are misusing government benefits; many are also contributing. From your name I can assume you or your previous generation also migrated to this country at some point of time and I am sure you never misused the benefits.

As usual, Jason, what are you talking about? Gerd Leers doesn't have roots as an immigrant.

There's so much war and political upheaval in the world, in particular third world countries that you cannot keep on taking people in on humanitarian grounds. When the war is over, they never go back. These same people often battle to integrate into society, live on the economic fringes of society. May be they even turn to crime because of this. The government's primary concern should be the welfare of the nation, not the welfare of the third world.

When governments cease supporting other countries wars, there will be no refugees. Seeing as the US is so willing to invade other countries, let them live there and foot the bill.

This unnecessary problem of refugees just goes to show how little human life is worth compared to the dollar, :P

Children are children wherever they come from, and whatever their parents are, and a civilized country would recognise that and have have none of these fascist rules, but then I suppose Netherlands was never really good at caring for non-Dutch kids... Anne Frank springs to mind.

@ jaycee: You mean you are for sending these children back to war and violence....the reason they are refugees is because their country is not safe...any assimilation will never happen and these poor kids will never know what hit them. It's very easy to talk when one has only known freedom and prosperity throughout their life.

@ Parvez Akhtar: maybe the govt. should have taken the same stance when you or your forefathers decided to immigrate here.....

The govt. must take drastic steps to ensure that the kids are properly trained and assimilated so that they can be given an opportunity to live like all tax paying, law-abiding citizens of the future...

@Wendy. What you say does make sense, and I do not believe any child should be sent back to a war zone.I do think the process of determining whether you are a real refugee or economic migrant should be made within 2 years of arrival.If a refugee,then every effort should be made to help you settle and get Dutch citizenship.If an economic migrant, sorry,time to go home.Some children recently in the news were put unaccompanied on a plane here by their parents,and their passports disappeared en route.Perhaps we need to check documentation at the plane door,no papers,no exit.Real refugees do try to carry proof. Please don't try and doubleguess my freedom and wealth history.

I really love when privileged people who can move around the world tell others they aren't worthy enough to do the same thing.

@ CW: yes I agree, money is valued far above human life, capitalism has never been a fair system for all, just the lucky few..