THE HAGUE, 15/02/03 - The caretaker government rapped Immigration Minister Hilbrand Nawijn's knuckles on Friday. After a "Broad discussion" in the cabinet meeting, it was decided that asylum police will not change, said a spokesman for Premier Jan Peter Balkenende.

Nawijn announced the introduction of an administrative measure last Wednesday under which the 5,000 to 7,000 asylum-seekers who have been in the Netherlands for at least five years could obtain a permanent residence permit if their situation was distressing. They would be required to have some command of the Dutch language, no criminal past and to come from a country with a recent history of human rights violations. Though it achieved a parliamentary majority with the support of the leftwing parties, the Christian democratic (CDA) and conservative (VVD) governing parties were unable to back the proposal of coalition partner Pim Fortuyn List (LPF) and its minister.

On Friday, it emerged that the cabinet wants to stick to the agreements it laid down in its coalition manifesto. Nawijn may use his so-called 'discretionary power' to exempt individual cases, but this may not lead to a situation in which large numbers of asylum-seekers can claim a residence permit, according to Balkenende's spokesman. Nawijn will let the Lower House know next week what supplementary conditions the distressing cases must meet.