X
Edition:
United Kingdom

  • Business
    • Business Home
    • Deals
    • Aerospace & Defence
    • Autos
    • Banks
    • Central Banks
    • Reuters Summits
    • Macroscope Blog
    • Business Video
  • Markets
    • Markets Home
    • UK Markets
    • European Markets
    • Market Analysis
    • Global Market Data
    • Indices
    • Stocks
    • Earnings
    • FXpert
    • Currencies
    • Commodities
    • Funds
  • World
    • World Home
    • Special Reports
    • Reuters Investigates
    • Euro Zone
    • Germany
    • France
    • U.S.
    • China
    • Middle East
    • Africa
    • Russia
    • India
    • Japan
    • World Video
  • UK
    • UK Home
    • Economy
    • EU Referendum
  • Tech
    • Technology Home
    • Media
    • Science
    • Tech Video
    • Innovation
  • Money
    • Money Home
    • Analyst Research
    • Stock Screener
    • Fund Screener
  • Commentary
    • Commentary Home
  • Breakingviews
    • Breakingviews Home
  • Sport
    • Sport Home
    • Football
    • Formula One
    • Tennis
    • Cricket
    • Golf
    • Rugby Union
    • Sport Video
  • Life
    • Lifestyle Home
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Entertainment
    • Arts
    • Oddly Enough
    • Faithworld Blog
    • Lifestyle Video
    • Entertainment Video
    • Environment Video
  • Pictures
    • Pictures Home
    • The Wider Image
    • Photographers
    • Focus 360
  • Video
Dutch allow Wilders' anti-Pole website, EU critical
  • Africa
    América Latina
  • عربي
    Argentina
  • Brasil
    Canada
  • 中国
    Deutschland
  • España
    France
  • India
    Italia
  • 日本
    México
  • РОССИЯ
    United Kingdom
  • United States
World News | Fri Feb 10, 2012 6:58pm GMT

Dutch allow Wilders' anti-Pole website, EU critical

AMSTERDAM The Dutch government refused to ban a key parliamentary ally's website inviting the public to post complaints about Poles and other east Europeans despite widespread criticism at home and abroad, including from the European Commission.

A Dutch government spokesman said the website, set up by Geert Wilders' Freedom Party was a matter for the party.

The party (PVV) gives the Liberal-Christian Democrat coalition a majority and its popularity has grown on the back of its tough stance on immigrants, notably Muslims but also from European countries, including EU members such as Poland.

The European Commission condemned the website, saying it ran against European principles of freedom of movement.

"We call on all citizens of the Netherlands not to follow this intolerance. Citizens should instead clearly state on the PVV's website that Europe is a place of freedom," EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding said in a statement.

The Polish embassy said it has asked the Dutch authorities to review the website after Dutch government watchdog, Nationale Ombudsman, rejected the embassy's request to shut it down.

The website, called "Report central and eastern Europeans", encouraged people to post complaints about Polish, Bulgarian and other eastern European immigrants, particularly if they had lost their job to an immigrant from one of those countries.

"This mass labour immigration causes many problems: nuisance, pollution, labour market competition, and integration and housing problems," said the website, launched on Wednesday.

Janusz Wolosz, spokesman for the Polish embassy in The Hague, said that a small minority of Polish people caused trouble in the Netherlands and that they should be dealt with by the relevant authorities.

"This kind of website which targets one specific group of nationals - central and east Europeans - is in itself discriminatory because you cannot have a website...targeting a specific group," he said.

Labour immigration has been on the rise in the Netherlands since 2005, more than doubling to about 40,000 people in 2010. Of those job-seekers, almost 80 percent came from EU member states, particularly Poland, Germany, Bulgaria and Romania, Statistics Netherlands data shows.

Immigrants usually work on farms or construction sites and some Dutch locals have complained because the workers sometimes live together in groups and do not conform to Dutch ways.

The Dutch employers organisation VNO-NCW was quick to criticise the website, saying it was "irresponsible".

"Companies need this labour force. Moreover, Poland is a member of the European Union. What would be the reaction if Poland said: 'Dutch people are no longer welcome'?," Bernard Wientjes, chairman of the organisation, said in a statement.

Wilders said in an emailed statement the website was a "resounding success", with 32,000 reports in two days and the Freedom Party was not concerned about criticism.

"There is absolutely no talk of discrimination. For us, this is about getting the facts of nuisance and labour market competition by middle and eastern Europeans," he said.

(Reporting by Gilbert Kreijger; Editing by Louise Ireland)

Trending Stories

    Sponsored Topics

    Next In World News

    Defiant Rousseff says Brazil's democracy on trial with her

    BRASILIA A defiant President Dilma Rousseff warned on Monday that her conservative opponents were trampling on Brazil's democracy by using trumped-up charges to oust her and roll back the social advances of 13 years of leftist rule.

    Bangladesh Islamist leader loses final appeal against execution for war crimes

    DHAKA Bangladesh's top court on Tuesday rejected a final appeal by the leader of an Islamist party against a death sentence for atrocities committed during the 1971 war of independence, lawyers said, meaning he could be hanged at any time.

    Trump hovers over McCain, Rubio U.S. Senate re-election contests

    WASHINGTON Republican voters in Arizona and Florida are expected to pick Senators John McCain and Marco Rubio as their respective U.S. Senate nominees when they go to the polls on Tuesday, but one name not on either ballot, Donald Trump, looms large.

    MORE FROM REUTERS

    From Around the Web By Taboola

    Sponsored Content By Dianomi

    X
    Follow Reuters:
    • Follow Us On Twitter
    • Follow Us On Facebook
    • RSS
    • Follow Us On LinkedIn
    Subscribe: Newsletters | Apps
    Reuters News Agency | Brand Attribution Guidelines | Delivery Options

    Reuters is the news and media division of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Learn more about Thomson Reuters products:

    Eikon
    Information, analytics and exclusive news on financial markets - delivered in an intuitive desktop and mobile interface
    Elektron
    Everything you need to empower your workflow and enhance your enterprise data management
    World-Check
    Screen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks
    Westlaw
    Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology
    ONESOURCE
    The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs
    CHECKPOINT
    The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals

    All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays.

    • Site Feedback
    • Corrections
    • Advertise With Us
    • Advertising Guidelines
    • AdChoices
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy