A political row is developing over the refusal of some local councils to hand over information on illegal asylum-seekers to the justice ministry.

Hilversum mayor Ernst Bakker told today’s Volkskrant that he would not hand over information on refugees who are not eligible for the recently agreed amnesty saying to do so would be a ‘betrayal’.
‘An illegal [asylum-seeker] who talks to a mayor to see if he or she can qualify for a residence permit should be able to speak in confidence. I think it’s strange that I should be expected to report him and that he would be deported if it emerges during this conversation that he does not fulfil the criteria,’ Bakker told the paper.
He has the backing of the local authorities association VNG which announced on Friday that it is not in favour of handing over information on illegal immigrants to the justice ministry. Local councils did not keep lists of illegal immigrants, nor did mayors ‘have the power to control if someone was illegal,’ said VNG chairman Wim Deetman.
Later in the day, Eindhoven’s head of social affairs Hans-Martin Don announced that his council would not support the call either, saying the deportation system was ‘inhuman’.
But Groningen mayor Jacques Wallage has called on his fellow mayors to work with the ministry to weed out refugees who do not qualify.
There is ‘no reason to refuse’ passing on information about asylum seekers to the government, Wallage said. ‘We have been given a very royal amnesty by this minister and she has given mayors an important role in carrying this out’.
Under the terms of the amnesty for long-term asylum seekers agreed earlier this month, local councils have a central role in assessing eligibility for the scheme.
Earlier this week, junior justice minister Nebahat Albayrak said mayors did not have to hand over information to her officials but she expected them to do so.