Arie M. Oostlander, MEP
European People's Party and European Democrats
Arie M. Oostlander of the Netherlands has served in the European Parliament since 1999. The following is excerpted from December 18, 2002, European Parliament debate on Immigration Policy.Asylum policy is particularly difficult and has many unpleasant aspects. One major aspect is the fact that a large proportion of asylum seekers are ultimately faced with the prospect of return — or even forced return. This is something that always attracts a great deal of attention and arouses emotions amongst the general public. While on the one hand enormous pressure is often exerted on politicians to turn away as many asylum-seekers who…
