THE HAGUE, 06/03/03 - The Christian democrats (CDA) and Labour (PvdA) both consider that the Netherlands should make more efforts to deport illegal immigrants. After new coalition negotiations, PvdA leader Wouter Bos said yesterday that the present policy was not effective enough.

Bos claimed "good progress" had been made in his meeting with CDA deputy parliamentary leader Maxime Verhagen. Verhagen in turn reported that the two parties agreed on the necessity of a good integration policy, in which command of the Dutch language and full integration into society are important.

However, the negotiators admitted that they still differed on several points. CDA wishes to stipulate that only those who earn at least 130 percent of the minimum wage may bring in a partner from abroad. PvdA is not enthusiastic about an income threshold of this kind.

In addition, the PvdA wishes to issue residence permits on a once-off basis to about 5,000 asylum seekers who have been in the Netherlands more than five years. This group includes those who are still waiting for the result of their asylum application, as well as rejected asylum seekers. Verhagen has "doubts" about a specific amnesty, because of the "suction effect" on asylum seekers in general.

The PvdA wish for a specific amnesty goes further than the Pim Fortuyn List (LPF) wish to admit a group of 2,300 'old' asylum seekers. The LPF motion, which the Lower House adopted with PvdA support two weeks ago, is limited to waiting asylum seekers and excludes those whose application procedures have failed.

The Lower House decided yesterday to give the caretaker cabinet one final chance to explain what it intends to do with the LPF motion. The CDA and conservative (VVD) coalition parties do not seem inclined to implement it, to LPF Integration Minister Hilbrand Nawijn's disappointment. The leftwing Greens (GroenLinks) yesterday did not receive enough backing for an unscheduled debate, but the MPs do want a clear explanation from the government by Tuesday afternoon at the latest, in a third letter on the subject.