The number of people declared undesirable aliens in the Netherlands has risen sharply since 2000, news agency ANP reports on Monday.

In 2000, 859 people were declared undesirable because of their involvement in crime. This year there have been 1,475 declarations, ANP said.
A spokesman for the justice ministry said the increase is due to a tightening of the rules in 2002. Since then, a jail sentence or community service of a month upwards is enough to result in deportation. The old limit was one year, ANP said.