ROTTERDAM, 06/09/03 - Rotterdam city council plans to distribute immigrants throughout the city and possibly to refuse permission for the 'deprived' to locate within its boundaries. In the Lower House, the plan received support from an unexpected quarter: the Socialist Party (SP) is urging nation-wide introduction of an active distribution policy.

SP MP Agnes Kant on Friday called on the parliamentary parties to start distributing immigrants on a national level. "By building cleverly and maintaining a sophisticated housing allocation system, a much better, fairer chance of a good future can be given to many people," according to Kant. "People who just bang away on the supposed right to free location are ignoring the big problems that exist in some parts of the Netherlands. "

Amsterdam wants nothing to do with Rotterdam's plans. Labour (PvdA) alderman Rob Oudkerk stated Friday that "we distance ourselves from the idea that 'full is full.'" There will be a policy of helping the deprived to find work, but certainly not a halt to admission of immigrants in Amsterdam, he said.

A halt to immigration is not on the agenda in Rotterdam either for now. Liveable Rotterdam, the largest party in the city, is in favor of this, but its Christian democratic (CDA) and conservative (VVD) coalition partners consider that is going too far. Additionally, it is unlikely to be legally feasible due to the constitutional ban on discrimination.

However, the VVD and especially CDA in Rotterdam endorse the problems raised by LR. CDA leader Van der Tak is prepared to introduce policy whereby no ethnic groups are refused, but rather the 'deprived,' which many immigrants after all are. He says as an example that an unemployed person living in Enschede should not be able to move to Rotterdam just like that.

Van der Tak stressed that his own party has not yet taken a definite position on refusing certain residents. In any case, an active distribution policy for the deprived over districts is necessary, he added.

Rotterdam Mayor Opstelten also believes that something has to be done. "It could be that you say in a certain district: the problem is so severe that we do have to introduce a couple of measures in housing allocation. "

Last week, an Intomart survey showed that 62 percent of Rotterdam residents support an 'immigration freeze'. It is clear that the debate will flare up in October, when the Rotterdam council discusses its budget for 2004.