THE HAGUE, 27/09/08 - Although this would have been inconceivable a few years ago, almost all the parties in parliament have explicitly expressed their great concern and abhorrence for the crime committed by young Moroccans. In an unscheduled debate, a cross-party majority also admitted that it is not a question of incidents, but that the Netherlands is facing a structural problem.

Why the MPs seem to have abandoned political correctness concerning Moroccan criminals is a matter for conjecture. It may be a reaction to Geert Wilders' Party for Freedom (PVV), which is winning popular support with its tough tone. They may be influenced by the mainstream media, whose dominant sympathy for the Dutch doctrine of multiculturalism is slowly but surely giving way to a more critical attitude. Or it may be the seriousness of the crime problem itself that prompted the MPs to tumble over each other in the debate to express harsh opinions about Moroccan troublemakers.

The analysis of Labour (PvdA), which is often accused of having become a party for immigrants and Muslims, was typical of the atmosphere. "People have had enough," said PvdA MP Attje Kuiken. "We should not be pampering them, but taking a hard line," declared Christian Democrat (CDA) MP Coskun Coruz. "The water is up to our necks," was the opinion of Ed Anker of the socialist Christian party ChristenUnie. And conservative (VVD) MP Letitia Griffith insisted that "The State must reconquer the street."

The PVV was the instigator of the debate, sparked by a recent strike by bus drivers in the municipality of Gouda. The drivers claimed they were continually robbed by Moroccans. According to the PVV, many cities follow a policy of deliberately keeping police out of criminal neighbourhoods.

PVV MP Hero Brinkman showed the House an internal memo circulated by the Amsterdam police in 2006. This instructed policemen not to patrol the Overtoomse Veld neighbourhood, where Moroccans were causing unrest at that time. This proves that the police fail to take action from fear of generating bad news, said Brinkman, who was a policeman in Amsterdam himself for years.

Although the House spoke hard words, the solutions still have to be found. However, a majority emerged in favour of sending young Moroccans who continuously cause trouble to a reform school for re-education. Parliament instructed the cabinet to produce a proposal quickly.

The CDA-PvdA- ChristenUnie cabinet however wants to continue to give local authorities the freedom to decide how they feel problems should be tackled. Also, this should happen as much as possible in consultation with Islamic organisations, including mosques. The cabinet will meet shortly with such organisations to discuss solutions.

In a letter to the House, the government admitted prior to the debate that "Dutch-Moroccan youngsters in high-risk groups" cause problems in various towns and cities. The cabinet also reported that 19.8 percent of Dutch-Moroccan men aged between 18 and 25 (in 2005) had been charged with one or more crimes in that year.