Eritrea: Motions passed by the Dutch Parliament

By Martin Plaut

Votes were held in the Dutch Parliament today following last week’s debate on Eritrea.

Below are unofficial summaries of the resolutions adopted.

Martin

English summary of motions adopted and proposers

1. Azmani and Sjoerdsma

Given the evidence that the Eritrean embassy has an important role in the collection of taxes that benefits the Eritrean regime and since there are indications that the embassy plays a role in threatening and intimidating Eritreans in the Netherlands who do not submit 2% of their income as tax,  request the government to summon the Eritrean ambassador to halt the taxation and the malpractices surround it. If this fails to halt the abuses, to close the embassy.

2. Azmani and Knops

Since 50% of Eritrean refugees living in the Netherlands are  dependent on government support, and being of the opinion that we should not finance the Eritrean regime through their  2% tax , requests the government to come up with proposals to end the payment of Dutch taxes to foreign powers.

3. Sjoerdsma, Azmani

Since the Eritrean regime is one of the most repressive in the world and Eritreans flee oppression and not lack of socioeconomic development, requests the government not to agree to the spending of 200 million Euros in Eritrea, but for the reception of Eritrean refugees in the region.

4. Sjoerdsma, Azmani

Requests the government to put Al-Shabaab on the national and European list of terrorist organisations

5. Voortman

Since crimes against humanity take place in Eritrea and the information from the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea is shocking, and that no progress on human rights has been made, is of the opinion that it now falls to the UN Security Council to take appropriate measures to halt crimes against humanity in Eritrea, requests the government to call on the UN to refer the report of the UN Commission of Inquiry to the UN Security Council, with the aim of to taking measures to combat crimes against humanity in Eritrea.

6. Voortman

Since Eritrean refugees in the Netherlands should be protected from the Eritrean regime and its supporters, requests the government to at least extend the screening of COA-volunteers and people that are allowed into COA via other organisations with the necessary research capability to screen out candidates who are active in organisations that are related to the Eritrean regime, such as for example the YPFDJ Holland.

7. Voortman

Observing that the Eritrean embassy in The Hague is being connected to practices of intimidation and extortion, requests the government to launch an investigation into the involvement of the Eritrean embassy in The Hague in criminal activities.

8. Knops, Azmani

Since the dictatorial regime in Eritrea is guilty of crimes against humanity according to a UN investigation 0and also supports terrorist organization like Al-Shabaab, and since the diaspora tax finances this regime and possible support to this terrorist organization, seeing as the collecting of diaspora tax by Eritrea in the Netherlands is combined with extortion and intimidation,  requests the government to investigate the possibility of outlawing the diaspora tax of Eritrea in the Netherlands and to ask advice on this from the advisor on international law,  requests the government in addition to call, within the context of the EU, for measures against the long arm of Eritrea, among others to halt the diaspora tax.

9. Karabulut

Requests the government to provide data on the representatives of the Eritrean regime in the Netherlands and to update the parliament about this as soon as possible.

10. Karabulut

Requests the government to take initiative to start an investigation, in the context of the EU context, as to the nature and scope of the diaspora tax of the Eritrean regime.

11. Karabulut, Smaling

Requests the government to call on the responsible European Commissioner to freeze the contribution to Eritrea and to make it available instead to UNHCR and/or other NGOs.