A crowdfunding campaign for 11-year-old Mikael and his mother Johar has raised more than 10,000 euros after two days. The fund is raising money for legal aid, but it must also help the 11-year-old with his future education.
Mikael’s mother, Johar, came to the Netherlands from Armenia in 2010. Her asylum application was then rejected, but she never returned. Mikael was born in Amsterdam and has never been granted a residence permit. In 2019, he appealed against the “final arrangement for long-term resident children”. This was rejected, but in 2021 the court ruled that it was unfounded. However, the Council of State ruled last month that Mikael and his mother could not stay in the Netherlands.
A solidarity march by Mayor Halsema and other politicians has drawn attention so that Mikael can stay in the country. But the responsible minister Marjolein Faber and Prime Minister Dick Schoof have said they can do nothing more for him. According to the Return and Departure Service (DTenV), Mikael and his mother must leave the country voluntarily before August 27, which is next Wednesday.
However, many do not stop there and are trying to provide legal support to Mikael and his mother to prevent deportation. Money is being collected through a support fund to continue paying for legal aid. “We call on everyone to help and show solidarity with Mikael in this difficult time. Together we can make a difference,” the initiators said. The goal of the crowdfunding is to raise 100,000 euros.
Left opposition
Earlier this week, the leaders of the GroenLinks, D66, SP, Party for the Animals, ChristenUnie, Volt and DENK called on Minister Faber to intervene. “We are not putting an eleven-year-old boy who was born and raised here on a plane to a foreign country he has never been to. There is no law that prevents the Cabinet from allowing Mikael to stay in the Netherlands. If the Cabinet does not do so, that is a political choice.”
