An Angolan teenager who arrived in the Netherlands aged 10 has lost his fight to stay in the country despite a heartfelt plea to the Dutch parliament and a wave of protest at his treatment.
Mauro Manuel, now 18, has been living in the Dutch province of Limburg with a foster family since he arrived in the Netherlands as an unaccompanied asylum seeker in 2003. He is facing deportation because he is an adult. Dutch MPs voted down two motions on Tuesday that would have allowed him to stay in the country permanently. They are expected to vote next week on a compromise motion that would allow him to stay to hear whether or not an application for a temporary four-year student visa has been successful.
On Monday, Manuel made an emotional statement to MPs. "Against my will I have become a symbol for all young, unaccompanied asylum seekers in the Netherlands. I would much rather be a symbol of integration in Dutch society," he said. "I was put on a plane completely by myself when I was nine years old. I was very sad and frightened … Happily I came to live with good people who are now my mother and father.
Note EU-Digest: unfortunately, once again, the powerful grip of anti-Muslim Right-Winger Wilders on the present Dutch Government of Mark Rutte, has become apparent.
For more: Angolan teenager Mauro Manuel loses fight to stay in the Netherlands | World news | The Guardian
No comments:
Post a Comment