Wednesday, May 20, 2009
People with a criminal record would not be eligible to claim asylum in the Netherlands, Albayrak was quoted as saying Tuesday.
She was referring to the five Somalis who are being prosecuted in the Netherlands after they failed to hijack a cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden in January. The suspected pirates could be tried by a Dutch court because the ship was sailing under the Dutch Antilles flag.
However, Dutch politicians have voiced concern about reports that the pirates are happy with the living conditions in Dutch prison cells, and at least one of them has said he wants to stay in the Netherlands after he is released and hopes to bring his family over.
Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen said on Monday that prosecution should deter pirates, not encourage them with the prospect of starting a new life in the country that prosecutes them.
He proposed that a special tribunal be set up under the auspices of the United Nations to deal with piracy. He suggested that the tribunal be located in Africa, possibly Kenya.
Source: Xinhua, May 20, 2009