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| Passport debate unfortunate for workers |
3/16/2007 |
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AMSTERDAM – The debate on dual nationality is being wrongly linked with questions about loyalty and should be ended as soon as possible. The leadership of trade union confederation CNV unanimously agreed on this on Monday.
"We have noticed that this discussion is causing commotion precisely in those professions where you need to be able to trust your colleagues blindly," Gerrit van de Kamp, chairman of the police personnel union ACP said. "Soldiers feel that if the loyalty of state secretaries is being questioned today, the integrity of Muslim soldiers could be up for discussion tomorrow," said Jan Kleian, chairman of the military union ACOM.
There are also many employees with dual nationality in the education sector. Marleen Barth, chairperson of CNV Education, thinks it outright insulting that people with dual nationality are now being found unsuitable for all sorts of jobs because they are presumed to have divided loyalties.
Chairman Dirk Swagerman of the CNV Services union referred to a reaction from a CNV member who is working abroad. "He asked us not too long ago whether we could do something about those crazy statements from Wilders. He is also putting Dutch abroad in danger with his comments."
CNV chairman Rene Paas is pulling the emergency break on behalf of all colleagues throughout the CNV. "What is happening now is that a large group of Dutch are being pushed into a particular corner and made to feel different. We must not make this suggestion any longer.
Everyone has the right to their own identity, no matter where they come from or what religion they follow. That should be the case for someone from Limburg or from Morocco, for an atheist and for a Muslim. These matters have nothing to do with someone''s loyalty in our society. The link between nationality and loyalty is a very dangerous one."
[Copyright Expatica News + ANP 2007]
Subject: Dutch news
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