Secretary Verdonk is 'not happy' with the enormous increase in fees for residence permits. She wants to 'solve' the problems experienced by universities in recruiting students and staff.
This is what the cabinet member for Alien Affairs and Integration said during a debate in parliament exclusively held on the increases of the fees. The prices for temporary permits rose in one year from 56 euro to 430 euro. For a permanent stay one even has to pay 890 euro.
Parliament was extremely negative on the policy of the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) to make the price of permits cover the costs. Member of parliament for the opposition party PvdA Dijsselbloem said that it is about time to look into the cost-effectiveness of the IND, a monopolist after all. Even coalition partner VVD considered the costs to be very high.
The increase of the various fees supplies the government coffers with over 20 million euros. Verdonk is, as she herself says, not happy with the measure of her predecessor. But the money is already booked on the budget for 2004 and she does not want to change this.
And yet there is hope for the representatives of the knowledge economy who have been battling the 'exorbitant' prices rises for months. The prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende, as chairman of the Innovation Platform, had emphasised the importance of foreigners for the Dutch knowledge economy. And therefore Verdonk will meet with Secretary Van der Hoeven (Education) to solve the problem with the recruitment of students and scientifice personnel, she promised.
