AMSTERDAM, 03/03/06 - Participants in political and social debate on the multicultural society avoid the core questions. They run away into details, declared conservative (VVD) MP Ayaan Hirsi Ali yesterday during a guest appearance at the Free University in Amsterdam.

The debate in the Netherlands always ebbs away in evasive behaviour, for fear of reprisals from radical groups and due to the human tendency of avoiding complexities, said the MP and activist. "We are not talking any more about immigration policy, but about Taida and Kalou. We are not talking any more about Islam, but about the Hofstad group."

Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk decided this week that 18 year old girl Taida Pasic must return to Kosovo within a month. The minister also again rejected a request for accelerated naturalisation for Ivory Coast football player Salomon Kalou, who will now most likely be unable to participate in the World Cup in June as part of the Dutch team.

In the media, attention is focused on the alleged injustice done to the girl and the footballer. But according to Hirsi Ali, many avoid the big underlying questions, such as the consequences of migration for the welfare state. Polls also show the majority of the population support Verdonk's strict interpretation of the rules.

Hirsi Ali considers that the Netherlands should no longer have a national immigration policy, but that the EU countries should jointly decide how many people they will allow into the EU. They should also jointly tackle human trafficking and fraud, and make agreements with countries from which many immigrants come.