Netherlands: Noureddine El Amrani

The educational institution associated with the Naturalization and Immigration Department has initiated a procedure not to extend the validity of passports for students outside the Netherlands, especially for those who have debts and have not been able to get rid of them. The news was confirmed in a news item that was published today in the "Trust" newspaper, Trouw. The article indicated that more than 2,700 students are currently outside the Kingdom of the Netherlands and will not be able to extend their passports, nor be able to return to the Netherlands. The decision was taken by the Education Implementation Institute of the Naturalization and Immigration Department in The Hague. This procedure concerns students of naturalized foreign origin and others whose debts exceed 5,000 euros. Official statistics say that the aforementioned clinic had previously not extended the passports' validity to more than one student who did not have addresses, which prompted the Naturalization and Immigration Authority to cancel their passports. The authority called on students outside the Kingdom to pay their debts and settle their affairs if they want to extend the validity of their passports in order to enter the Netherlands. Many human rights organizations in the Netherlands have called for the necessity of canceling this measure, which they considered an arbitrary measure of a punitive nature. And not drowning them with punitive measures.