THE HAGUE, 25/10/03 - The cabinet is having an investigation carried out on whether it is possible to introduce a national security screening for aliens. Such a screening should contribute to combating terrorism, the cabinet announced Friday.

The investigation is intended to show whether there are barriers to introducing the screening. It will look at whether it is financially, but also legally feasible, including whether the possible invasion of privacy of the aliens involved could cause problems.

In relation to aliens whose residence application is rejected on grounds of Article 1F of the Refugees Treaty (danger to public order and national security), the possibilities of declaring them undesirable aliens will be looked into. Continued residence would then in principle become an offense.

The planned screening would be carried out based on standard risk profiles and comparison of data from a number of government services. To prevent terrorism, the cabinet also wants to see whether it is possible to check up on airline passengers landing in the Netherlands ahead of their entry and more thoroughly. The government is also working on a network of European immigration liaison officers at the airports of 'high-risk countries'.

Last week, five men were arrested in the Netherlands on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack. De Telegraaf newspaper claimed Friday that they had planned a bomb attack in a Rotterdam shopping center. Four of the five are still in custody.

The released man is said to be a Dutch convert to Islam from Amersfoort, with an American father. He remains a suspect. The other four were living in Amsterdam (2), Rotterdam and Schiedam. The man from Schiedam is reportedly Khalifa Al H., a Moroccan with a Spanish passport. He ran a so-called call shop, where immigrants can make cheap phone calls abroad.