THE HAGUE, 01/08/03 - Integration Minister Rita Verdonk must take action against local authorities that continue to offer shelter to rejected asylum-seekers and undesirable aliens. The provision of identity cards to illegal immigrants is the limit, the governing Christian democratic (CDA), conservative (VVD) and to a lesser extent, center-left (D66) parties consider.

The coalition parties were reacting yesterday to the approach of Den Bosch local authority, which has itself dreamed up a system in order to care for illegals. In the Noord-Brabant capital, aliens without papers can go to a reporting station that provides them with at least five days of accommodation. They also get an individual program in which a lawyer investigates whether legal status can still be achieved - for example, by making a fresh application for asylum or by sending the person to Canada. In the meantime, the illegals even get an identity card with which they can establish their identity with the police.

As well as Den Bosch, dozens of councils have already been frustrating the policy of the national government for some time. Councils complain that they are forced to offer aliens accommodation, as the expulsion policy of the government is inadequate. "In the law, it says now that rejected asylum-seekers are responsible for their return journey themselves, but that does not actually work," acknowledged D66 MP Lambrechts. "I can also well understand that; such persons grab every straw that comes their way. "

CDA and VVD are more rigid, and want the councils to immediately halt the accommodation, though they, like D66, acknowledge that the national government must make more effort on expulsion. The three government parties want to know from Minister Verdonk exactly what agreements her predecessor Hilbrand Nawijn made with the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG).