| Problems obtaining biometric Dutch passport abroad |
Many problems with biometric passport for migrants from the NetherlandsNational Ombudsman and Minister Maxime Verhagen ask for reactions. Netherlanders abroad have asked the National Ombudsman in the Netherlands to help with the problems they experience since the biometric passport has been introduced. Some consulates of the Netherlands no longer provide passports to migrants and expats since the inclusion of fingerprints. The government in the Netherlands has decided that only consulates receiving a minimum of 500 applications will get a device for fingerprinting in passports. The placing of such a device at a consulate with fewer applications is not cost-effective. Consequently many Netherlanders have to travel fair distances to renew their passport. Especially migrants in Australia reacted very angry, according to the Katholieke Emigratie Centrale. Some people have to travel thousands of kilometres to get their fingerprints in their passport. Twice: once for fingerprinting and they have to come back to collect the passport. Not just the travel time, but also the high costs involved make it difficult for the Netherlanders abroad. Return to the Netherlands cheaper A family living in the Australian outback figured that instead of renewing it in Australia it is cheaper for them to fly to the Netherlands with the entire family and renew their passports there. “And it gives me the opportunity to visit my family.” Many migrants wonder why new fingerprinting is needed every 5 years. “A fingerprint is unique and can be stored, so basically a once-off fingerprint should be sufficient, isn’t it?” Mobile office The Katholieke Emigratie Centrale suggests that a mobile office could be an excellent alternative for the far outback. Meaning that every five years a mobile office could go to a certain area to provide passports to the Netherlanders living there. “I do hope this mobile van is a 4WD, though,” the outback Netherlanders reacting sensibly. National Ombudsman As a result of complaints of different migrant organisations the national Ombudsman in the Netherlands, Alex Brenninkmeijer, decided to look into their complaints. “Netherlanders abroad should be able to get the new biometric passport quite easy”, says Brenninkmeijer. According to Brenninkmeijer minister Maxime Verhagen had promised that expats from the Netherlands should be able to apply for a new passport without any problems. The ombudsman assumes that the Lower House (Tweede Kamer) soon will attend to this matter during the forming of the budget of Foreign Affairs. According to Mariko Peters, Lower House representative of the GroenLinks party, the Netherlands should work together with other European countries more often. They install the same devices for fingerprinting. Travel time would be a lot less for many migrants if they could go to other embassies or consulates. Send your response Ombudsman Alex Brenninkmeijer calls for migrants to send their complaints to him through the website www.nationaleombudsman.nl . Go to the page ‘klacht indienen’ and fill in the klachtenformulier. Print this form if you prefer to send it and mail to: Nationale Ombudsman The responsible minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Verhagen, can be approached too. Please go to Twitter: http://twitter.com/MaximeVerhagen
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