Turkey lashes out at Dutch immigration policies

The Turkish government has fiercely criticised the new Dutch government's stricter immigration and integration policies. Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant reports that Ankara's and Social Security Minister Faruk Çelik said the new policies place immigrants in an isolated position.

The minister mentioned the high costs of obtaining a residence permit, compulsory integration courses and the fact that Turkish language classes are not part of the curriculum offered at Dutch schools.
Mr Çelik pointed to the successful integration of Turkish immigrants in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom. He said the Netherlands and other Western European countries could learn from their example.

Note EU-Digest: Turkish Social Security Minister Faruk Çelik does not seem to be aware of the also stringent US, Australian and UK immigration laws. The Turks in the Netherlands are highly respected immigrants. Unfortunately the Netherlands has received quite some bad publicity as a result of Mr. Wilders Freedom party's "indirect" participation in the Government and his numerous negative statements about Muslims.


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