Iranian students barred after all
07 Jul 2008
According to a press release distributed by the Netherlands national news agency ANP, dated 1 July, the Dutch cabinet wants to ban Iranian students after all. The press release reads as follows:
The cabinet does want to ban Iranian students from sensitive courses, where they could potentially collect information that may lead to making or distributing nuclear weapons.
Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Verhagen told Dutch Parliament on Tuesday that a government ruling on these 'proliferation-sensitive' courses will be published in the Netherlands Government Gazette (Staatscourant) in the near future.
Verhagen and his colleague Ronald Plasterk (Education) had already urged higher education institutions to be vigilent and extremely reserved when it comes to admitting Iranian students.
This call led to large protests amongst scientists, but some institutions did comply. The University of Twente closed its doors for all Iranian students and staff.
The Eindhoven University of Technology requested a statement from the General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) for every Iranian national, which will not be supplied.
Source: ANP