Dutch Allow Church Asylum Family To Stay

A Dutch church said Wednesday it will finally halt a marathon three-month-long religious service aimed at stopping the expulsion of an Armenian family after a parliamentary deal allowing them to stay

The Hague, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Jan, 2019 ) :A Dutch church said Wednesday it will finally halt a marathon three-month-long religious service aimed at stopping the expulsion of an Armenian family after a parliamentary deal allowing them to stay.

The Tamrazyan family has been sheltering at the Bethel church in The Hague since October, fighting their deportation by taking advantage of a Dutch law that authorities cannot enter while a service is underway.

On Tuesday night the ruling four-party coalition in the Dutch parliament reached a hard-fought deal over so-called "children pardons" for young deportees.

The church on Wednesday "is stopping the continuous services held since October 26," said Theo Hettema, a member of the church's management.

"Tuesday's political deal now offers families like the Tamrazyans a safe future perspective in the Netherlands," he said in a statement.

"The last service will be at 1.30pm (1230 GMT)", followed by a party and a press conference, he added.

The Tamrazyan family fled Armenia after the father received death threats for his political activities and have been in the Netherlands for nine years.

They took shelter at the church after Dutch authorities turned down their request for asylum but appealed on the grounds that it would affect the children, aged 21, 19 and 14.

The parliamentary deal -- opposed by Prime Minister Mark Rutte's centre-right VVD party -- will now again look at the thorny issue of some 700 children, who were born and raised in the Netherlands while their parents were applying for asylum.

The three other coalition parties were all in favour of a general amnesty and tough talks followed which at one stage threatened to split the fragile ruling alliance.

There will now be a "broad arrangement for 'existing cases' of parents with children rooted in the Netherlands, but who were not allowed to stay," the NOS public newscaster said.

The current group will be reassessed and the expectation is that some 90 percent of them will be allowed to stay, the NOS added.

Because parents would also not be allowed to be deported, it involved around 1,300 children and adults, the NOS said.

This included the Tamrazyan family, another church spokesman Derk Stegeman told the ANP news agency, "after being assured by various coalition MPs".

Stegeman said it was a "reason for joy".