ROTTERDAM, 28/06/03 - Aliens Policy Minister Rita Verdonk opened the first deportation center for illegal immigrants at Rotterdam Airport on Friday. It is intended for those whose identity and nationality are known and who can be sent out of the country quickly.

The deportation centers were the idea of Verdonk's predecessor Hilbrand Nawijn. His initiative has been put into practice at record speed. After the Lower House adopted the proposal in December, the center in Rotterdam has been set up within three months.

The ambience of the center is not that of a prison. "Illegal immigrants are not criminals," Verdonk explained. "Staying in the Netherlands illegally is not an offense. The only restriction is that the residents cannot come and go freely. We keep them in custody in order to put them on a plane as quickly as possible. "

The residents will primarily be people picked up during large-scale police raids. Now that the center is open, the police will soon carry out more campaigns of this sort, said M. Vis, coordinator of the immigration services.

The refurbished hangar can accommodate 198 illegal immigrants, who will leave the country within 28 days. A second center will open at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam in the autumn, with a capacity of 100 people. Both locations can be extended in the future to provide 600 places between them.

Verdonk claimed that the illegal immigrants posed no threat to the surrounding area, but a childminding facility in its immediate vicinity disagrees. The management is threatening legal action, as it fears riots, arson and escape attempts. The minister has promised to look for a solution.

Estimates indicate that between 50,000 and 150,000 people live in the Netherlands illegally. About 29,000 illegal immigrants were deported in 2002. The total for this year has already reached 15,000.