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Indian Express
4 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Dutch government collapses after Geert Wilders pulls his anti-Islam party out of coalition
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof has stepped down following the decision by far-right leader Geert Wilders to pull his anti-Islam Freedom Party (PVV) out of the ruling coalition. The move has effectively collapsed the Netherlands' 11-month-old government and is expected to lead to snap elections. The ruling coalition – made up of Wilders' PVV, the populist Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB), the centrist New Social Contract (NSC), and the liberal-conservative People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) – has been fragile since it was formed after the last elections. The four-party alliance struggled to find common ground, especially on the contentious issue of asylum and immigration policy. On Tuesday morning, following a brief meeting of party leaders, Wilders announced that all PVV ministers would leave the government. 'I signed up for the toughest asylum policy, not the downfall of the Netherlands,' he told reporters, as per The Guardian. He also wrote on social media that 'since there had been no signoff on our asylum plans,' the PVV was 'leaving the coalition.' Wilders had been pushing for the government to adopt a strict 10-point plan aimed at significantly reducing immigration. As per a report by The Guardian, experts had warned that many of these proposals were in direct conflict with European human rights law and the UN Refugee Convention. In response, Prime Minister Schoof called an emergency cabinet meeting. With the PVV's departure, the three remaining parties could theoretically continue as a minority government, but analysts and opposition figures believe new elections are the only realistic outcome. Frans Timmermans, leader of the opposition Labour/Green alliance and a former European Commission vice-president, said: 'I see no other way to form a stable government.' Recent polling as per The Guardian, indicates that support for Geert Wilders' Freedom Party (PVV) has dropped significantly since its surprise election victory in November 2023. The party is now polling at around 20 per cent, roughly on par with the Labour/Green alliance, currently the second-largest bloc in the Dutch parliament. This isn't the first time Wilders, has walked away from political power. After years on the opposition benches, he only managed to strike a coalition deal in 2023 by giving up his bid to become prime minister. Back in 2010, Wilders also played a pivotal role in Dutch politics when he backed a minority government led by then-prime minister Mark Rutte. However, that support collapsed less than two years later following a row over austerity policies, leading him to withdraw from the arrangement. The now-defunct coalition, which took nearly six months to negotiate, marked the first time the far-right PVV had entered government.
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First Post
17-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
'Fanciful PILs': Supreme Court lashes out at frivolous petitions to block Rohingya deportation
Advocate Colin Gonsalves on Friday said that the central government had already deported a batch of Rohingya Muslims on May 8. He claimed that the deportees were handcuffed and sent off to the Andaman Islands, given life jackets and 'pushed towards Myanmar' read more The Supreme Court rebuked petitioners for filing successive PILs to stop the deportation of Rohingya Muslims. The court told senior advocate Colin Gonsalves that 'PILs after PILs cannot be filed' on the same issue unless there is some new fact backing their petitions. Earlier this month, a three-judge bench consisting of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and N Kotiswar Singh refused to grant an interim stay on the apprehended deportation of Rohingyas, saying they are not Indian citizens and hence do not have the right to reside in the country. The PILs were argued by Gonsalves and advocate Prashant Bhushan. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Solicitor General Tushar Mehta stated that India is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention and questioned the validity of the UNHCR granting refugee status to Rohingyas. These individuals, originally from Myanmar, had fled to other countries due to severe threats to their lives from the military. Gonsalves on Friday said that the central government had already deported a batch of Rohingya Muslims on May 8. He claimed that the deportees were handcuffed and sent off to the Andaman Islands, given life jackets and 'pushed towards Myanmar'. They sought the help of fishermen after reaching the country to call their relatives in Delhi and informed them that they faced a threat to their lives. Justices Singh and Kant asked whether anyone can verify these details or not. 'When the country is facing such a situation at present, you cannot come up with fanciful PILs like this. There is no material to support vague and sweeping allegations made in the petition. Unless the petitioner provides prima facie credible material, it is difficult to pass an interim order which is contrary to the one refused on May 8 by a 3-J bench.' Gonsalves referred to a Supreme Court ruling on the protection of Chakma refugees to argue for similar relief for the Rohingyas. He also pointed to a UN report and an order from the International Court of Justice, asserting that the Rohingyas are refugees, not migrants, and their right to life protection is mandated by the UN. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
TimesLIVE
13-05-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
'Afrikaans refugees' are still South African citizens: immigration lawyer
The 49 South African refugees who left the country for the US cannot be deprived of their South African citizenship, an immigration lawyer says. As the group arrived in the US on Monday, an immigration lawyer, Chris Watters, said they could not have it both ways, meaning they could not use the South African embassy's services while in the US. 'By definition, they are fleeing because they cannot get protection from the South African government (or the government refuses to give them protection) in respect of the serious harm they face in South Africa.' 'They cannot have it both ways,' he said, adding that leaving the country also meant that they could not travel on their South African passports as that would be invoking the protection of the South African government, should they need consular assistance. Watters said, realistically, there was no way of knowing what arguments and/or evidence each of the applicants had put to the US authorities to justify claims that they had 'fled' the country because they feared persecution and serious harm in South Africa on account of their race, ethnicity, or political opinion if they had to return. Watters said the UN Refugee Convention stipulates that the refugee determination process has to be strictly confidential. 'These claims are both forward-looking and backward-looking. So, the case for each would be made out on the basis of what they claim has happened to them, their family or friends in the past in South Africa,' he said. He said the recent Constitutional Court ruling on dual citizenship confirms that no South African may be deprived of their citizenship. He added that any of the group may return to South Africa at any stage, which would mean, though, that they would be abandoning their refugee status. He added that at a certain point, they might qualify to naturalise as US citizens. 'If/once the parents naturalise, the children automatically become US citizens,' he said. On Tuesday, international relations and co-operation (Dirco) minister Ronald Lamola said that in line with the international definition, the group did not qualify for refugee status as there was no persecution of white Afrikaners. Lawyers for Human Rights declined to comment on the status of the group. 'Any questions about Afrikaners going to the US as refugees should be put to the US embassy itself, because the US definition of a refugee has deviated from the internationally established legal definition and applicable legal framework,' the organisation said.
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
No Place Like Home: Neither Here, Nor There
New Delhi: Following the Supreme Court's refusal on Thursday to stay the deportation of illegal Rohingya migrants on the ground that the right to reside in India was reserved for citizens, there is fear and uncertainty in Delhi's Rohingya settlements. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In Kalindi Kunj and Shram Vihar, where many of the migrants have lived for over a decade, families reported sudden detentions and untraceable these settlements, TOI sensed a tense stillness in the air. The approach to the Kalindi Kunj and Shram Vihar habitations winds through a dusty, broken trail strewn with rubble. Around a dozen jhuggis, assembled with tarpaulin, wooden planks and rusted metal, are clustered there, most of them with no electricity or water. They have curtains for doors, no windows, not even fans to keep the Delhi heat at bay."This is where we rebuilt our lives," said a 25-year-old who fled Myanmar in 2012 with his wife. "We have three children now. They go to school here. When we first arrived, we didn't know how to survive. We built these shacks with our own hands. We are grateful to India for allowing us to stay and we followed all UNHCR steps. People tell us we deserve electricity, water and toilets, but most of us are just thankful to have even these shanties. Now, even this life is under threat."On May 6, a 26-year-old Rohingya said his entire family was torn apart. "I was at a govt hospital with my wife, who was undergoing surgery. My parents were at home taking care of our children. Later that day, my mother, father, two brothers and my sister-in-law were picked up and taken to the police station. Then they were deported," he said in a choking voice. "We don't know where they are now. We were never given a chance to make other arrangements. UNHCR, which once assured us of safety, is keeping silent."His story is not unique. Another shared how his niece's wedding had been planned for May 20. "Everything was ready, clothes, jewellery and other arrangements," he said. "Then, suddenly, my niece and her mother, who sells vegetables in the slums, were called to the police station and later deported after biometric verification. We weren't given a chance to prepare to leave or say goodbye. We just hope they are safe and are being treated with dignity." The Rohingyas claim that around 40 individuals have been deported recently from across the families have lived in India 2012; others came following the 2017 upheaval in Myanmar. While their legal status is long and complex, many said they believed their presence in India was permitted on humanitarian grounds. On Thursday in the Supreme Court, the solicitor general of India assured the bench that due process would be followed with regard to the Rohingya deportation, reiterating that India did not recognise them as refugees because the country was not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention. A police officer claimed that due process was followed with respect to the deportations. There is great anxiety among the community members about being sent back to the very violence they once fled. A 24-year-old woman sat at her jhuggi in Kalindi Kunj, her eyes swollen and red as she cried while nursing her 11-month-old baby. Struggling to speak, she said, "I learned how to sew after coming to Delhi. My husband is a labourer, and we barely make a living. But at least we felt safe here. Back in Myanmar, we know what could happen to young women and their children. Even going without water for three days here feels better than being deported." A 30-year-old woman said, "We believed in the system. We never meant to overstay here or defy the law." Pointing at the hand-painted drawings on the shack walls, she continued, "My 12-year-old daughter made these at school. All I want is a better future for her. You can send us back, but please don't send our children with us. We don't know what will happen to them. We came because we feared for our lives. We never claimed citizenship, only refuge. We only hope for clarity, safety and a little time."
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Business Standard
02-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Immigration cuts, higher visa fees: What Australian parties promise in 2025
Australians are preparing to cast their votes on May 3, 2025, with immigration emerging as a central issue shaping the final days of campaigning. From permanent migration caps to international student visa fees, major parties have laid out markedly different plans for how they would manage Australia's borders and labour needs. Labor maintains migration targets and focuses on skilled workers The incumbent Labor Party has kept the permanent migration program at 185,000 places for 2024–25, splitting it 70:30 between skilled and family streams. However, places in the Skilled Independent visa category have been sharply reduced from 30,375 to 16,900. In a major move, Labor has also abolished the Business Innovation and Investment Program, redirecting efforts towards skilled migration instead. In December 2023, it unveiled a ten-year migration strategy with the target of bringing annual net migration down to 250,000 by June 2025. If re-elected, Labor plans to increase student visa application fees to A$2,000. Also Read Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has promised to cut the permanent migration intake to 140,000 for 2025–26, with a gradual rise to 160,000 in following years. The Coalition has pledged to cut net overseas migration by 100,000, focusing on reductions to skilled independent visas and international student intakes, while keeping working holiday and family visas unaffected. It has also proposed reintroducing a specialist agriculture visa to tackle farm labour shortages, although critics have warned of potential exploitation risks. The Coalition has announced a fast-tracked review of the Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485), citing concerns that post-study work rights are being used as an unintended pathway to jobs and permanent residency. Dutton also proposed capping new international student arrivals at 240,000 per year, alongside a steep A\$5,000 visa fee for applicants targeting Australia's top-ranked universities. Minor and micro parties outline tougher and softer approaches Several smaller parties are offering different immigration visions: Greens: propose expanding the humanitarian intake and oppose new fossil fuel developments One Nation: calls for reducing net migration to around 70,000 a year, a travel ban on certain countries, and withdrawing from the UN Refugee Convention Sustainable Australia Party: supports reducing migration to 70,000 people per year but keeping refugee intake between 14,000 and 20,000 People First: proposes limiting immigration to under 100,000 work visas, with incentives for settling in regional areas Post-study work rights spark controversy The 485 visa allows international students to stay and work in Australia after completing their studies. Recent numbers show a mismatch between student origins and 485 visa holders: while China is the largest source of international students, it ranks third in 485 visa holders. By contrast, students from South Asia, particularly India, make up 60% of all 485 visa holders but only 37% of students. Phil Honeywood, chief executive of the International Education Association of Australia, said, 'Everything that the Federal Opposition has announced during this protracted campaign has been anti-international students and directed against the 250,000 Australians who work in our beleaguered sector.' He added, 'If the past is anything to go by, then the outcomes of this review will have been pre-determined: namely reductions in visa applicability, further duration limitations and even potential limitations on partners being able to participate.' In a post on X, Honeywood commented, "So now we know exactly what the alternative Aus Govt think of our international ed sector! Harsher enrolment caps than Labor, a A$5,000 non-refundable student visa fee (A$2,500 for non-Group of 8 unis). No rent causation link! Sends the wrong signals about multicultural Australia!" Andrew Norton, higher education commentator and professor at Monash Business School, pointed out that policy swings can create unfair situations for international students. 'Policy swings are also unfair for international students. They respond to the incentives created by Australian governments, only for the rules to change when it comes time for the Australian government to uphold its side of the bargain,' Norton wrote in a blog post. He argued that Australia's international student industry should honour its commitments, and changes should be gradual, not abrupt. Norton observed that with high numbers of commencing students in 2023 and 2024, the total number of students will 'remain high by historical standards'. He added, 'As they complete their courses they will form a large pool of potential temporary graduate visa applicants.' 'As of late February this year, I estimate that there were around 1 million people in Australia on student-related visas. I doubt this will fall significantly anytime soon and this may create political pressure for more restrictive policies,' he explained. Recent changes to the 485 visa Visa settings for international graduates have already been tightened for 2024–25: 1. Longer visas for skills shortage fields abolished after only one year 2. Masters degree post-study work rights cut back from three years to two, except for Indian students protected under the India-Australia free trade agreement 3. Minimum English language requirement increased from IELTS 6 to 6.5 4. Maximum age for 485 visa eligibility reduced from 50 to 35 years, except for research degree holders Australia remains top choice for Indian students despite costs The upcoming elections as very important for Indians as Australia continues to attract strong interest from Indian students. According to IDP Education's March 2025 survey, Australia now accounts for 28% of Indian students' first-choice preferences, ahead of the United States at 22% and the United Kingdom at 21%. Canada's popularity has fallen sharply to 13%, down six percentage points compared with March 2024. 'Despite the rise in visa and tuition fees, Australia continues to see strong interest from Indian students. Many families approach it as a long-term investment, weighing factors like academic quality, post-study work rights, safety, and the overall student experience,' said Piyush Kumar, Regional Director - South Asia, Canada and Latin America at IDP Education. Opinion polls suggest Labor edging ahead With the federal election just a say away, opinion polls suggest the Labor Party is on course to retain power, either with a slim majority or by forming a minority government. A RedBridge-Accent poll for News Corp published on May 1, 2025, showed Labor leading 53%-47% against the Coalition under Australia's preferential voting system. The same survey reported that Millennials and Generation Z voters—who together make up 43% of the electorate—have been pivotal in the late swing towards Labor. A separate YouGov poll predicted Labor could win up to 85 seats in the 150-seat lower house, marking the Coalition's worst performance since 1946.
