Dutch minister wants EU countries to keep own immigration policies

Dutch Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk said Monday that members of the European Union should maintain their national immigration policies but further integrate asylum proceedures.

"Each country (of the EU) must at all costs keep a dominating influence in the area of immigration," Verdonk said during a meeting with foreign journalists in The Hague.

"My policy is not tough, and I'm not fighting anyone, but the problem in The Netherlands is that we have been naive about immigration for too long. We need to make up ground," Verdonk said.

The Dutch minister added, however, that the 25 EU countries should work more closely on the issue of asylum.

"I'm very favourable to the creation of a European database and a network to exchange information" on conditions for obtaining the right to asylum in EU countries, she said.

Verdonk has a tough reputation after adopting very restrictive measures for obtaining asylum in The Netherlands, and returning refugees to countries such as Iraq, Iran and the Democratic Republic of Congo without an agreement on security conditions in those countries.

She also approved in 2004 the return of 26,000 failed asylum seekers to their countries of origin, even though some had been resident in The Netherlands for more than 10 years.

The Netherlands is due to introduce an immigration test on March 17 -- to check knowledge of Dutch language and society -- which applicants will have to pass in their country of origin before being able to apply for residence status.