NATO Defence Minister Ank Bijleveld smiles at a family picture at the Dutch Defence Ministers meeting in Brussels, Belgium Jun 27, 2019. REUTERS Francois Walschaerts File Photo Posted Freud Photography
AMSTERDAM, Sept. 17 Reuters - Foreign minister Ank Bijleveld has said on Friday she would resign over her handling of the evacuation of refugees from Afghanistan last month, following a similar move by The Netherlands Foreign Minister Sigrid Kaag.
A majority of parliament has said that both ministers bore responsibility for the government's slow response to the surge of Taliban and for failing to prepare the safe passage of thousands of Afghans who could have been eligible for asylum in the Netherlands. Bijleveld is the sixth minister to leave office since Prime Minister Mark Rutte's government was brought down by a childcare subsidies scandal in January.
The government has been in caretaker status since since, as efforts by Rutte and Kaag to form a new government have stalled following a general election six months ago.
Kaag resigned immediately after motions of disapproval against both Ministers were adopted.
Bijleveld at first said she would stay, but reconsidered a day later after heavy criticism from members of her own Christian Democrats party.
He is going to bring those in Afghanistan who count on us to safety "Jindolor said." My position has become subject of discussion, and I don't want to obstruct the important job of the people who work for me.