Dutch parliament rejects admission program for Yezidi women and children

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The majority of the Dutch parliament on Tuesday rejected a motion to create a temporary humanitarian admission program to allow Yezidi women and their children to come to the Netherlands.

The motion was submitted by Jasper van Dijk, an MP for the Socialist Party (SP).

He told Kurdistan 24 that it's "painful" that the majority of the parliament does not support his motion. 

"It is inexplicable that the government brings ISIS women to the Netherlands, but at the same time lets down ISIS victims," he said. "I will try again in January."

Sunita Biharie, a Socialist Party leader in the Dutch city of Apeldoorn, also found it "outrageous that our motion was not passed. We should have arranged this a long time ago."

"We are lagging behind and have abandoned victims, and even now, we do not want to correct this," she said. "These are victims of ISIS… who have truly experienced the most heinous crimes committed against them."

She called it criminal that the motion wasn't adopted and a violation of human rights.

The Dutch Yezidi activist Wahhab Hassoo told Kurdistan 24 that the "rejection was expected from right-wing anti-migration political parties, such as FvD (Forum for Democracy) and PVV (Party for Freedom)." 

"But we never expected (Christian) parties as CU (Christian Union) and CDA (Christian Democratic Appeal) to reject certain plans to help Yezidi genocide victims," he said. "It's a shame and moral bankruptcy of today's Christians political parties."

However, MP Pieter Grinwis of the Christian Union tweeted that his party voted for the motion. But it seems the vote was not counted. 

Dutch journalist Brenda Stoter Boscolo, author of the book 'Forgotten People' about the genocide against Yezidis, told Kurdistan 24 that the rejection was a "big shame", especially in light of the fact Dutch ISIS fighters and their wives were involved in the genocide against Yezidis. 

"We should take in women and children and if it was up to me also men and other direct victims of ISIS, because it is our duty," she said. 

She argued that this would be appropriate in light of the fact the Netherlands has started repatriating ISIS wives. 

Read More: Dutch repatriate woman and children with ties to ISIS from Syria

"Why the perpetrators and not the victims?" she asked. 

The Dutch journalist and expert on Yezidis pointed out that thousands of Yezidis still live in camps in the Kurdistan Region without a future. 

"They are just sitting there, in the tents, and hardly get any financial or psychological help," she said.

"We are a rich country, and we also recognized the genocide recently. Recognition comes with responsibilities towards the victims."

Read More: Dutch parliament formally recognizes Yezidi genocide

Boscolo said if the Dutch authorities took in a few Yezidis, it would change their lives.

"We as a country would have shown a clear message; that we do care about the victims of ISIS. Germany can do it, France, Australia and Canada too, but the Netherlands, which is one of the richest countries in the world, can't. It's a disgrace."