After years of unsuccessful attempts at finding asylum, around 600 children and their families can now stay in the Netherlands, local media reported on Wednesday.
The coalition agreed on Tuesday in The Hague after a long controversy to make an exception for rejected under-age asylum seekers.
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According to the exception, children and adolescents, who have been living in the Netherlands for years and have their home there, are no longer to be deported.
They may now obtain a permanent residence permit, even if they are not entitled to asylum.
The four coalition parties prevented a government crisis with the compromise.
According to government estimates, the exception applies to approximately 630 children and their families.
Their asylum applications had been rejected after years of proceedings.
The right-wing People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) of Prime Minister Mark Rutte had until recently, clearly rejected an exception for minors.
The three coalition partners, the left-liberal D66 and two Christian parties, were in favour.
Child protection activists and the left-wing opposition welcomed the decision.
Minors could, in principle, still obtain asylum status in the Netherlands previously, even if all applications had been rejected by courts.
However, the conditions were so strict in the view of the Christian and left-liberal parties that hardly anyone could achieve it.
The old rule should now be completely abolished so that minors no longer fall into the special status category. (NAN)
