The Netherlands passed a law earlier this year that would revoke Dutch citizenship from anyone who travels abroad to wage jihad in the way of Allah. However, the law cannot be applied retroactively, so anyone who went to Syria before it was passed — which means most of the “Dutch” mujahideen — is exempt from its provisions. As a result, a gaggle of mischievous youngsters will be “grandfathered in” and allowed to return to the Netherlands.

Many thanks to C for translating this video report, and to Vlad Tepes for the subtitling:

Video transcript:

00:00 Madam Yesilgoz, you have requested a debate, and a letter from the secretary of state,

00:04 because five jihadis, one of whom allegedly passed away,

00:08 will have their nationality restored, the Council of State has decided.

00:12 But do you know why the Council decided this?

00:15 Well, I don’t know what happened exactly, I read it in the papers like everybody else.

00:20 So that’s why we’ve said we want to see on paper what happened exactly, but more importantly,

00:24 how will we prevent these people, who travelled to the caliphate of their own free will,

00:29 from doing terrible things there, and turning against our constitutional state and liberal society.

00:34 How do we prevent these people from returning? We’re all of the same opinion, but

00:38 the Council of State says something else. —Well, if it turns out

00:41 our hands are tied by rules and laws that we can’t change,

00:45 which remains to be seen, then you should look for other ways,

00:49 then you have to consider whether they can be tried locally.

00:52 Then you have to look at ways to keep those people there,

00:55 and not have them come here, but still be punished for their actions. That’s what this is about.

00:58 It seems these cases date back to before introduction of the law.

01:02 And a law can’t be applied retroactively.

01:05 If we decide today that people who run a green light get a ticket,

01:09 we can’t do that with people who ran green lights yesterday. What we can do —

01:14 We know the names, we know the people, so we can track them very well,

01:18 and as far as I’m concerned, we’ll do everything in our power to stop them from returning.

01:22 If my information is correct, then the issue is

01:25 that if you made sandwiches for jihadis on February 28 2017,

01:29 and this has been proven, then you can’t de-nationalize, take away the passport.

01:34 If it happened on March 1 and there is proof, then it is possible.

01:37 That’s exactly the issue when you look at proof, etc.

01:43 The PVV has always said: if you go to Syria or Iraq or wherever

01:46 to wage jihad, then you’ve crossed the line. Or to support jihad.

01:49 Then you’ve crossed the line,

01:52 then you should not be allowed back in the Netherlands,

01:55 and we have to close the borders against these people. I don’t understand

01:59 why the secretary of state chooses to issue the retraction himself.

02:04 Because I think it’s not necessary at all to present these terrorists

02:09 with all the legal protection our Dutch state has to offer on a silver platter.

02:14 Let them fight for their rights, the secretary of state doesn’t need to protect them in this way.

02:20 The Council of State maybe should have, but not as far as I’m concerned,

02:24 The government was supposed to take care of this issue. If they didn’t, we all have a problem.

02:30 This is about the security of our society. The secretary of state should have solved this.

02:35 I have to wonder, who are we protecting?

02:38 People who reject Dutch society, who are in terrorist territory,

02:43 who are involved with terrorism in this way, we’re protecting them in every way possible,

02:48 because oh-my-God, their rights have been violated. I find this total nonsense.

02:53 I think that Dutch society should be protected.

02:56 This should not devolve into the protection of terrorism.

03:00 The Council of State should realize this very well.

03:03 The issue is leaving the Netherlands to fight in Syria, or supporting that struggle.

03:07 That’s when you crossed the line, then we should act immediately so that this person can’t return.