THE HAGUE, 02/12/03 - Integration Minister Rita Verdonk believes that a number of wishes expressed by Rotterdam are not realistic. The Lower House reacted slightly more enthusiastically to the plans the city presented yesterday against the influx of immigrants.

According to the minister, it is not possible to admit only immigrants that have completed an integration course, consisting of language and cultural training. Nor can Rotterdam bar asylum-seekers with a temporary work permit, she added. Verdonk does consider Rotterdam "has a point" with its efforts to limit free location of the 'deprived'. She will investigate certain ideas further. "Often something is already possible within the existing rules. "

In the Lower House, a majority consisting of the Christian democratic (CDA), conservative (VVD) and center left D66 governing parties plus the Pim Fortuyn List (LPF) opposition party supports Rotterdam on the main lines. "We must take this up as a signal from Rotterdam to keep the city liveable in the future as well," said CDA parliamentary leader Maxime Verhagen, who agreed with Mayor Ivo Opstelten that "something must be done".

Making illegality a crime, as Rotterdam urges, is not possible, according to the minister. In that case, all these people, estimated at between 50,000 and 150,000 would have to be locked up in prison and there is no capacity for that. But the minister does want to pick up more illegals and send them back home. Verdonk (VVD) is on a working visit to Rotterdam tomorrow.