Netherlands to Deport Mongolian Asylum Seekers

By M.OYUNGEREL

With the inclusion of Mongolia in the Dutch list of safe countries of origin on February 12, Mongolian asylum seekers will now be considered ineligible for asylum to the Netherlands starting on March 1, and are expected to leave the country immediately.

The Dutch State Secretary of the Ministry of Security and Justice, Klaas Dijkhoff, announced that he added six jurisdictions to Netherland's list of safe countries of origin on February 12: Ghana, India, Jamaica, Morocco, Mongolia, and Senegal. According to the website of the Government of the Netherlands, a country is deemed a safe country of origin if it is safe enough to return to, and if it does not carry out persecution on the grounds of race or religion, or apply torture or inhumane treatment.

Starting March 1, the applications of asylum seekers from safe countries of origin will be subject to an accelerated procedure which consists of a single hearing, and...