BRUSSELS: Still riding the wave of anti-immigration sentiment espoused by the murdered populist politician Pim Fortuyn, the Netherlands announced new measures on Friday which will turn it into one of Europe’s least welcoming places for those seeking sanctuary.

In a television interview which has alarmed anti-racism groups, Hilbrand Nawijn, the new immigration minister, said that illegal immigrants should be locked up in disused military barracks for two months and have their social security payments cut by 90 per cent.

A former head of the immigration service, and one of the ministers from Fortun’s movement, Mr Nawijn said one of the first things he wanted to do was to get tough with immigrants, especially those with criminal tendencies.

“I’m thinking about illegal immigrants who cause trouble in the Netherlands,” he told the Nova TV programme. “They come from countries like Turkey, Morocco and North Africa and it is generally the criminal illegal immigrants that cause trouble here.”

Under Mr Nawijn’s plans, which will take effect within six months, asylum seekers will be detained in converted army barracks for up to two months and then expelled from the country immediately if their applications are turned down.

It is a significant departure from the current system, in which asylum seekers live in open accommodation and can travel freely, although they cannot work while their applications are being dealt with: a process which can take years.

Mr Nawijn also indicated that the Netherlands will try to renegotiate EU agreements with countries which refuse to take back nationals who have been denied refuge in the union. Companies will be liable to a fine of US dollars 2,000 for every illegal immigrant they hire, he added.

Anti-racism groups said they were deeply concerned by the policy, which includes a plan to penalise newcomers who fail to complete Dutch language and citizenship classes: a key plank in the Fortuyn’s manifesto.

One of the Netherlands’ most prominent businessmen said earlier this month that immigrants were responsible for most shoplifting and street robberies and, much to the concern of human rights groups, the government has begun an unprecedented inquiry into the activities of the country’s 800,000 Muslims.—Dawn/The Guardian News Service