Dutch Church protects Refugee Family by conducting Religious Services

For over a month, a Dutch church protects refugee family by conducting religious services in order to save them from deportation. Here is everything you need to know about this touching story.

Dutch Church protects refugee family

For over a month, a Protestant church in The Hague has been conducting non-stop religious services to protect an Armenian refugee family from deportation. In order to keep the services going, reverends from around the country have taken turns holding services at Bethel Church to prevent the police from arresting the family. This is because, by law police officers in the Netherlands are not allowed to enter places of worship during religious services.

Sasun and Anousche Tamrazyan and their three children, have been living in the Netherlands for nine years. They came to Holland after being forced to flee their native Armenia after Sasun’s political activism earned them death threats. The family sought asylum in the Netherlands and applied for a “children’s pardon,” . This is a policy that allows refugee families with children who have resided in The Netherlands for more than five years to get a permit to stay. However, their application was denied. Once the Tamrazyan family found out about the deportation order, they sought help from churches near by. The Bethel Church community decided to welcome the family in order to stay true to “the openness and hospitality of the church.”

Ayslum seekers at Ter Apel (Source: Flickr/CC/IND/Directie Voorlichting)

The Netherlands and its harsh asylum laws

Over the last couple of years, the Netherlands has come under fire for its harsh asylum laws. A similar story hit mainstream media this September, with the deportation of Howick and Lili to Armenia – two children who only speak Dutch. Thankfully, after a lot of media coverage and a strong outcry from the public the two siblings got to stay in Holland, and their lawyer was attempting to bring their mother to the Netherlands.

However, others have been arguing that the Netherlands is too soft on asylum seekers. Over the summer, many Dutch towns saw squatters take over houses and flats that temporarily had no one living in them. This lead to a heated discussion whether or not behavior like that is acceptable considering their living conditions. On top of that, the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) have to pay over one million euros to asylum seekers seeking refuge in the Netherlands. These penalty payments – which are likely to quadruple by the end of the year – have been claimed because the service is too slow.

refugee
“No one chooses to be a refugee.”

What is your opinion on the asylum laws in the Netherlands? Do you agree with the decision of the Dutch church to protect the refugee family? Let us know in the comments below!

Veronika Licheva
Veronika Licheva
Living the short girl life in the land of giants. Veronika is a content creator who takes great interest in video, photography, and journalism. Her mission in The Netherlands is to build a vibrant and exciting career, while simultaneously petting as many dogs as possible.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Related posts

Latest posts

BREAKING: International Criminal Court in The Hague issues arrest warrants against Israel PM and Hamas leader

The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has just issued arrest warrants against three important figures from Israel and Hamas.  According to the NOS,...

Your guide to all the ‘lekker’ Dutch festive food and drinks you can enjoy this holiday season

Christmas is right around the corner, which means: it's time for the feasting on Dutch festive food to begin! 🎄 You might be wondering...

Best internet and SIM deals in the Netherlands: Free gifts, discounts, and more

’Tis the season… for Black Friday tech deals! From free TVs to discounts up to 70%, these are the best internet and SIM offers...

It's happening

Upcoming events

The latest Dutch news.
In your inbox.