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From heroes to vulnerable victims: labelling Christian Turks as genuine refugees in the 1970s

2013; Routledge; Volume: 36; Issue: 7 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/01419870.2013.783706

1466-4356

Tycho Walaardt,

Gender and Women's Rights

Abstract In 1975, the first Christian Turks applied for asylum in the Netherlands. They were at first denied, and only in the early 1980s did they finally begin to win refugee status from the Dutch government. In the meantime, they faced years of uncertainty. Campaigns of lobbyists in the years between 1977 and 1983 contributed to end their waiting. Their campaigns caused a drastic change of the image of the ‘deserving refugee’ in the Netherlands. This article explores the arguments that lobbyists used to influence decision-makers. It shows how and why the public and political image of the ‘deserving refugee’ had to change in order to successfully claim refugee status. Keywords: refugeesasylum procedurethe NetherlandsChristian TurksSuryoyelobbyists Notes 1. National Archive, Archive of the Dutch Naturalization and Immigration Service and its predecessors (hereafter NA): 5.023.5027 inventory number (hereafter inv.) 429, Memo meeting Secretary of State of Ministry of Justice and Foreign Affairs 17/12/1975. 2. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 2230, Letter 8/12/1982. 3. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3262–3268, Letters of private persons, organizations and political parties. 4. For various examples of such letters see: NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3269 and 3271. 5. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3269, Letter 11/8/1979. 6. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 2664, Letter 21/5/1982. 7. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3264, Letter 9/2/1983. 8. NA, 5.023.5028 inv. 454, Interview aliens police 11/11/1976. 9. Parliamentary proceedings, 1978-179, number 15,642, p. 4. 10. NA, 5.023.5028 inv. 471 and 830, Remarks on cover of the case files. 11. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 2664, Report of Central Medical Team for Refugees (1960, 1975, 1980) 3/8/1982. 12. NA, 5.023.5028 inv. 635, Letter 18/4/1979. 13. These twenty-three letters were almost identical; I used only one version. 14. Parliamentary proceedings 1979–1990, Resolution Wessel-Tuinstra 28/1/1980. 15. NA, 5.023.5028 inv. 678, Letters 13/1/1983, 3/11/1982, 13/7/1983. 16. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3262. 17. Two examples: De Trouw 4/9/1979; De Trouw 3/5/1979. 18. NA, 5.023.5028 inv. 1609, 786 and 848. 19. NA, 5.023.5028 inv. 383, Report Aliens Committee 28/1/1977. 20. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 1111; NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3265, Letter sent by Reformed Political Party and reply 11/10/1979. 21. NA, 5.023.5028 inv. 796, Remark by lawyer during an appeal hearing, reference: 1980/34. 22. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3264, Letter 30/1/1983. 23. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3273, Letter 18/4/1979 and inv. 2146, Letter 3/5/1981. 24. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 2146, Letter 22/4/1981. 25. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 2146, Letter 3/4/1982. 26. This argument appeared in other letters: NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 391, Letter 27/2/1978. 27. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3264, Letter 12/1/983. 28. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3265, Letter sent by Protestant Political Party 1/12/1980. 29. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3269, Letter 7/10/1979. 30. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 391, Letter 11/5/1978. 31. Parliamentary Proceedings 1978–1979, 15 642, no. 3, p. 10. 32. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 1014, Report meeting between the UNHCR and representatives of Ministry of Justice 20/4/1979. 33. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 2316, Report meeting refugee group and Minister of Justice 22/8/1978. 34. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3274, Letter 7/5/1980. 35. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 1014, Report of meeting between the UNHCR and representatives of Ministry of Justice 20/4/1979. 36. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3274, Letter 7/5/1980. 37. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3270, Letter 11/12/1978 and 21/4/1979. 38. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3267, Letter sent by the UNHCR, reference: HO/77/34 10/5/1977. 39. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 1117, Typed version documentary Ed van der Kraan, Tros Aktua (1979). 40. For example: NA, 5.023.5037 inv. 3263, Letter 13/11/1979. 41. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3264, Letter 13/3/1983. 42. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3264, Letter 6/2/1983. 43. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3264, Letter 11/01/1983. 44. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3262, Letter 12/6/1981. 45. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 2335, Letters sent by family doctors 11/12/1979, 9/8/1979 and 19/1/1981. 46. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 1108, Letter sent by professors Romme and Trimbos of Erasmus University to Advice Committee of Council of State 17/3/1983. 47. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3266, Letter 31/1/1983. 48. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 2335, Letter 10/12981; NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 2307, Letter 2/2/1978. 49. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3265, Letter 21/3/1981. 50. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3264, Letter 5/2/1983. 51. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 2146, Letter sent by Syrian Orthodox Church in the Netherlands to all Dutch churches (May 1979). 52. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3272, Circular mail of Mr S. of Reformed Church 28/12/1979. 53. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3263, Letters 24/7/1979 and 10/12/1979. 54. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3276, Letter 4/9/1979. 55. NA, 5.023.5027.3262, Letters 10/12/1979 and 24/7/1979. 56. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3262, Letter 21/4/1981. 57. NA, 5.023.5028 inv. 814, Letters 19/3/1979, 12/3/1979, 8/3/1979, 21/3/1979, 16/3/1979; Note from Secretary of State to Council of State 18/3/1980. 58. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3263, Letter 5/3/1983. 59. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3262, Letter 19/9/1979. 60. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3276, Letter 30/4/1979; NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3269, Letter 23/5/1979. 61. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3275, Letter 18/5/1979. 62. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 2146, Response letter 18/5/1979. 63. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3276, Letter 7/5/1979. 64. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 2311, Letter 18/7/1977. 65. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3270, Letter 28/8/1979. 66. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3270, Letter 16/5/1979. 67. NA, 5.023.5027 inv. 3265, Letter 7/5/1981. 68. NA, 5.023.5028 inv. 788, Lists of petitions; Article in Brabants Dagblad (24/4/1981); Letters 21/4/1981, 8/2/1982, 21/9/1982. 69. NA, 5.023.5028 inv. 786, Letters 10/4/1980, 29/1/1982, 1/2/1982, 24/3/1982, 25/3/1982, 20/4/1982.