HILVERSUM, 21/10/03 - The Lower House and the government are urgently seeking a solution for the increasing problem of unmanageable Moroccan youths. Generally, the pervasive conclusion is that tough action must be taken, but at the same time this must not lead to stigmatisation.

In recent weeks, society's debate about the misbehaviour of Moroccans has hotted up. First, a woman was killed, after which police officers received death threats and were later also beaten up. Last weekend, it was revealed that an old folks' home in the Amsterdam district of Geuzenveld has been terrorised for months by a group of mainly Moroccan youths.

Police have until recently remained cautious, but following the series of incidents, it has now become a hot issue in The Hague as well. Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk on Sunday proposed financial sanctions against the parents of Moroccan troublemakers. The center-left (D66) party wants criminal youths to be given community service in their own neighborhood, so that they look a fool in their own surroundings. Both however stress the exemplary behavior of the vast majority of Moroccans.

To date, tackling criminal immigrants often seems to have got bogged down in fears of racism and ethnic tensions. According to H. van der Kooy, director of the Nieuw Geuzenveld old people's home, the police do nothing. "I have sent photos of youngsters who sneaked in and forced open doors to the police three times, but this action remained without result. The police say: This is just how our society is now. They advise us to put up more cameras and put more locks on the door. "

The police say the home has "its own responsibility. " As well, hanging round a certain spot is not forbidden, says a spokeswoman. "For old people, this already quickly becomes threatening. "

In the past few months, the old folks' home has been terrorised by the largely Moroccan group's acts of vandalism, break-ins, intimidation of staff and demands of money - accompanied by death threats - from old people going outside, research by the Free University to be published this week reveals.

Amsterdam has about 1,500 predominantly Moroccan youngsters aged 12 to 25 who are systematically guilty of committing nuisance and intimidation. Mayor Cohen earlier in the week urged heavy sentences for these hard-core youths. For now, however, it still seems to remain a matter of much talk.

The Urban Moroccan Council (SMR) considers that the Moroccan community is being stigmatised. "The youngsters feel they are not accepted, and face unemployment and aggression from the police," said its chairman A. Menebhi yesterday.