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The Netherlands has taken the lead in trying to meet its responsibilities towards refugees (Photo: Bamshad Houshyani)

EU asylum and war criminals: No place to hide

In the 1980s and early 1990s, a large number of Afghans fled to the Netherlands to escape the dire situation in their own country. But they weren't the only ones who left.

Senior government officials, including agents of the secret service - the dreaded KhAD - who had engaged in human rights violations also landed on Dutch soil.

Imagine escaping torture in your home country for exile far away, then suddenly crossing paths with the person responsible for your suffering. Dutch medi...

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Disclaimer

The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s, not those of EUobserver

Author Bio

Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.

The Netherlands has taken the lead in trying to meet its responsibilities towards refugees (Photo: Bamshad Houshyani)

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Author Bio

Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.

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