The Netherlands closes its embassy in Tehran due to tensions between Israel and Iran

Due to rising tensions between Iran and Israel, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided to close the embassy in the Iranian capital Tehran tomorrow. The consulate in the Iraqi city of Erbil will also remain closed as a precaution.
Normally both posts are open on Sundays because that is the start of the working week. "People who had an appointment have been or will soon be informed that it has been rescheduled," the ministry writes. This mainly concerns appointments from people who want to apply for a visa to travel to the Netherlands.
Other activities of the diplomatic missions will continue. "The safety of employees has the highest priority," the statement said.
It is not the first time that the Netherlands has closed an embassy or consulate as a precaution. For example, the consulate in the Turkish city of Istanbul was temporarily closed a year ago after a Koran was torn up in front of the Turkish embassy in The Hague. Due to subsequent threats, the post was closed.
Earlier this week, the US Embassy in Israel banned employees from traveling through Israel. Russia, France, Canada and Australia have advised their citizens not to travel to Israel.
US President Biden has again warned of an impending attack by Iran on Israel. Biden told reporters in Washington that he expects that attack "sooner rather than later." Last Wednesday, the president said that Iran is threatening "a significant attack."
He now told journalists in Washington that he does not want to release sensitive information about it. He further addressed Tehran: "Don't do it," he said. "We are committed to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel, we will help defend Israel, and Iran will not succeed."
The United States has rushed warships into position to protect Israel and American forces in the region and in hopes of averting Iran's attack.
(Source: NOS.nl)

Dutch politics: Wilders releases Nexit in PVV program European elections

NETHERLANDS: The PVV is no longer advocating for the Netherlands to leave the European Union. In the program for the European elections of June 6, Geert Wilders' party abandons the idea of a Nexit. The PVV does want to reform the EU from within.

The PVV wants to limit the power of Brussels, as can be read in the election manifesto 'Netherlands on 1'. According to the party, European cooperation has gone too far. Wilders wants to restore control to the member states. National sovereignty must come first.
In the election manifesto for the national elections last year, the PVV advocated a binding referendum on a Nexit, a departure of the Netherlands from the European Union. But the party has now abandoned that plan. "Working together with other countries is fine, but while maintaining our national sovereignty and identity."
Right-wing radical parties are on the rise in many EU countries. Wilders thinks that together they can significantly change the course in Europe after the elections. "Because in recent years, we have slowly swung further into the EU trap," he writes in the foreword.
Just as in the Netherlands, the PVV also wants to work hard in Europe to significantly limit the flow of asylum. In case that does not work, the party wants the possibility of a Dutch exceptional position in the areas of migration and asylum.
It is not the first position that Wilders has weakened now that government participation beckons. The PVV previously shelved controversial anti-Islam bills and Wilders said that military support to Ukraine is no longer taboo. He even appeared willing to give up the premiership if that paves the way for a cabinet of PVV (far right), VVD (right liberal), NSC (social conservative) and BBB (farmer citizen party).
(Source: RTLnieuws.nl)

'Weapons found in investigation into alleged Rotterdam Hamas member'

NETHERLANDS / BULGARIA: In Bulgaria, police have found weapons that were probably intended for a European branch of Hamas, German media write. Four people are now in custody in that investigation, including Nazih R., a 57-year-old Rotterdam resident. He was arrested in December and has now been extradited to Germany, which is leading the investigation into the European Hamas branch.
According to justice in Germany, the underground branch of Hamas had to carry out attacks on Jewish targets in Europe. In addition to the Rotterdammer, the police in Germany have also arrested three men in Berlin. Justice in Germany tracked down the four after a tip from a secret service in Israel.
Officers found photos of weapons on the suspects' phones, which led to the depot in southern Bulgaria, close to the Turkish border.
The weapons in Bulgaria were destined for Berlin. The intention was that they would remain hidden there until an order was received to carry out attacks on Jewish targets, according to German justice.
That order would come from Lebanon. The contact person of the four Hamas members is said to have been Khalil Al-Kharraz. He was a high-ranking commander of the Hamas military branch in Lebanon. He was killed in November last year in a drone attack, allegedly carried out by Israel.
Nazih R., the arrested man from Rotterdam, denied any involvement with Hamas at the beginning of this year and wanted to stop the extradition to Germany. At a hearing on February 6, his lawyer spoke of "a very political accusation".
She called her client "a peace-loving family man in poor health." But the judge did not agree and decided that the man could be extradited to Germany.
(Source: NOS.nl)

Netherlands: A few municipalities are deporting third-country nationals from Ukraine, but uncertainty remains

NETHERLANDS: The first municipalities started deporting Ukrainians on Tuesday, while lawsuits are still ongoing about whether this is allowed at all. The ministry will only inform municipalities about this this evening. Third-country nationals lived in Ukraine for, for example, their studies or work. They only had a temporary residence permit when they had to flee the war.

The third-country nationals initially fell under the same rules as other refugees from Ukraine, but in the summer of 2023 the ministry decided to change that. The group of around 2,540 people, mainly from Nigeria, Morocco or Algeria, therefore had to apply for asylum or leave the Netherlands.
Three quarters of a year later it is still not clear whether the group should have been sent away at all. And while the deadline for that actually expired today.
In principle, the ruling of the Council of State in January should have put an end to the case. The country's highest court ruled that third-country nationals are indeed no longer entitled to protection as of March 4. They were then given another four weeks to apply for asylum or leave. The ministry also continued to adhere to that assessment.
But a few weeks ago, uncertainty arose again after dozens of third-country nationals went to court again. After the ruling, they received a letter stating that they had to leave. And although an appeal cannot normally be lodged against a ruling by the Council of State, the third-country nationals could go to court with that letter. The judge then looked at whether it was right for this person to be sent back on the basis of that document.
The several dozen lawsuits handled so far have resulted in different rulings. For example, the courts in Rotterdam, The Hague, Arnhem, Zwolle and Utrecht agree with ending protection for third-country nationals as of March 4. But the courts in Roermond, Den Bosch and Haarlem are not. The court in Amsterdam cannot reach an agreement at all and believes that the highest court in Europe should consider it.
Third-country nationals who have been told by the judge that they can stay or still have a legal case pending, may stay until a higher court has considered the case again. And that now leads to confusing situations: some third-country nationals must have left or applied for asylum, and others must not.
The municipality of Dordrecht started sending away about ninety third-country nationals from the shelter on Tuesday. The municipality of Meppel has also evicted someone from the shelter. It is not known where these people have gone now.
"We are dealing with a very complicated situation," said outgoing State Secretary Eric van der Burg (Asylum) on Thursday. "Where the judge has said: 'this person may not be deported until there is a ruling from a higher court', we have to follow that." This also applies to cases in which the judge has said that someone may be deported.
The ministry will explain how to proceed in a letter to municipalities on Tuesday evening. But it seems unlikely that it will now reverse the return of third-country nationals, as the lack of clarity has been going on for weeks.
However, the Council of State can now put a temporary stop to the policy. The highest court of the country can do that if it still wants to make a final ruling on this. A spokesperson told the ANP news agency that the Council of State will also provide more information on Tuesday evening.
(Source: NU.nl)

Ajax Amsterdam suspends director Kroes for buying club shares just before appointment

NETHERLANDS / AMSTERDAM: The supervisory board of Ajax has decided to immediately suspend the new general manager Alex Kroes and intends to permanently terminate the collaboration.
The Amsterdammers announced in a press statement that the supervisory board has learned that Kroes purchased more than 17,000 Ajax shares a week before the publication of his intended appointment on August 2, 2023.
According to Ajax, which sought legal advice, it is very likely that Kroes acted with insider information. That is punishable. A shareholders' meeting will be held shortly to make a decision on the proposed dismissal.

Not long after Ajax's press release, Kroes himself also issued a statement. In it he confirms that he owns Ajax shares, but that the club was already aware of this. He is appealing against his suspension with the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets.
"It is a share package of which Ajax was already aware at the time of my appointment in August 2023. During that period, I naturally provided full disclosure to the supervisory board about relevant assets, including 42,500 shares in the capital of Ajax. ."
Kroes himself also stated that he purchased the last part of his share package a week before his appointment. "At that time I had not yet agreed with Ajax, but I had a good feeling about it because of my own intentions. It seemed to me a positive signal to radiate confidence in the club and to shareholders. There is certainly no 'quick win' thought behind it, I first wanted to ensure that things would go very well for Ajax in all kinds of areas."
Kroes officially joined Ajax as general manager on March 15. Before that he worked at AZ.
(Source: NOS.nl)