The Netherlandsand Afghanistan Fiasco: Over 700 Dutch still stuck in Afghanistan

There are currently more than seven hundred people with a Dutch passport in Afghanistan. That is what Minister of Foreign Affairs Sigrid Kaag said on Friday before the Council of Ministers.

According to Kaag, this concerns "many people who appear to have gone on a family visit", despite the "clear travel advice" that applied to Afghanistan. "We have to get them back," said Kaag. This is still separate from Afghans who worked for the Netherlands and who the Netherlands is also trying to evacuate. They are at risk now that the Taliban is ruling the country.

Read more at: Over 700 Dutch still stuck in Afghanistan | NL Times

The Netherlands -Technology Leadership in the EU: How the Netherlands is leading the EU toward its tech future

Though geographically and demographically small, the Netherlands is positioning itself as a European technology leader, making a name for itself in fields like quantum computing, AI, tech start-up innovation and sustainable cities.

This is good news for IT pros looking to advance their careers and enterprises interested in emerging tech, but the country's hot technology market presents some challanges — first and foremost, it can be hard for businesses to find the tech talent they need.

Read more at: How the Netherlands is leading the EU toward its tech future | Computerworld

The Netherlands: Dutch employment crisis: More job vacancies than unemployed

While many were left concerned about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the Dutch economy and labour market, figures from CBS confirm that the financial aid from the Dutch government not only prevented thousands of redundancies, but has actually led to another crisis altogether.

Unemployment has been falling and the number of vacancies has been steadily rising since mid-2020, but peaked this year between April and June, when there were 106 job vacancies for every 100 unemployed people. In this period, there were 327.000 jobs available - the highest number ever recorded in the Netherlands. At the end of the second quarter, there were 39 vacancies for every 1.000 jobs in the Dutch labour market - the highest figure ever recorded by CBS.

Read more at: Dutch employment crisis: More job vacancies than unemployed

EU eyes talks with Taliban but no plans to recognize them - by Lorne Cook and Kirsten Grieshaber

The European Union has no immediate plans to recognize the Taliban after their sweeping victory in Afghanistan but will talk with the militants to ensure that European citizens and Afghans who have worked with the EU can leave safely, the bloc’s top diplomat said Tuesday.

peaking after leading emergency talks among the EU’s foreign ministers, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also underlined the importance of opening talks with the Taliban to help prevent a new exodus of refugees as a humanitarian crisis unfolds in the conflict-ravaged country.

“We have to get in touch with the authorities in Kabul, whatever they are. The Taliban have won the war, so we will have to talk with them,” Borrell told reporters. “This dialogue will also have to focus on the means to prevent the return of foreign terrorists.”

“It’s not a matter of official recognition, it’s a matter of dealing with” the Taliban, Borrell said.

The EU has decided to suspend development assistance to the Afghan government now that the Taliban has seized power, but the 27-nation bloc is weighing whether to boost humanitarian aid.

Read more at: EU eyes talks with Taliban but no plans to recognize them | World | stltoday.com

Afghanistan: Most European troops exit Afghanistan quietly after 20 years - time to leave NATO ?

Another failed NATO (US) campaign ends for EU member states in Afghanistan. It is high time for EU member states to stop wasting their young men and womens lives, and their citizens taxpayers money, by being part of the outdated NATO. It would be far better to focus instead on more lucrative activities, like global trade, medical science, global warming, space, and a variety of other more peaceful actvities.

Read more at: Most European troops exit Afghanistan quietly after 20 years

Afghanistan: Germany and the Netherlands halt deportations to Afghanistan

Germany and the Netherlands have said they have stopped forced repatriations of Afghan migrants because of deteriorating security in Afghanistan, as the Taliban press on with their rapid advance in the country’s north.

“Due to current developments in the security situation, the interior minister has decided to suspend deportations to Afghanistan for the time being,” tweeted Germany’s interior ministry spokesperson, Steve Alter.

Separately in The Hague, the Dutch state secretary for justice and security, Ankie Broekers-Knol, announced a “moratorium on [deportation] decisions and departures”. The halt “will apply for six months and will apply to foreign nationals of Afghan nationality”, she wrote in a letter to the Dutch parliament.

Read more at Germany and the Netherlands halt deportations to Afghanistan | Afghanistan | The Guardian

The Netherlands: The quintessentially Dutch pasttime of mud walking

Our guide, Harm Jan Wilbrink, warned us that the stone embankment leading to the sprawling mud flats might be slippery. Letting the others in our small group go ahead of me, I descended slowly on my hindside, determined not to lose my balance and end up with an unwelcome facial mask from the get-go.

We were in Friesland, in the far north of the Netherlands, on an unusually sunny and barely warm Friday morning in late July. Our 1880s rental cottage was just up the road in Moddergat, a former fishing village whose name translates to “mud hole.” Indeed, in this region, all footprints lead to the iconic Dutch activity of wadlopen, or “mud walking.”

Read more at: The quintessentially Dutch pasttime of mud walking - The Washington Post