Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stef Blok, demanded clarification from Eritrea on Saturday about fundraising by the embassy office of the country, a minister told the ANP news agency after reports on the Argos radio program.

According to Argos , the Eritrean embassy office in The Hague uses coercion to raise money among Eritreans in the Netherlands. They were asked to donate at least 100 euros in connection with the Corona crisis.

Eritrea has been asking for money from fellow countrymen living abroad for years. It concerns the so-called diaspora tax. This tax cannot be banned, but according to the United Nations (UN), the tax is often done with intimidation and coercion. Action can be taken if Eritreans report that they have been pressured to pay.

Blok calls it “very worrying” that there are again reports of the forced collection of money by Eritrean diplomats. The minister requires an explanation from the embassy office. He also says he cannot rule out further actions.

Highest diplomatic representative was previously expelled

In 2018, former Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra demanded that Eritrea’s senior diplomatic representative, Tekeste Ghebremedhin Zemuy, leave the Netherlands, as the embassy continued to forcibly collect money from the diaspora. He was declared persona non grata. The House of Representatives also demanded that the embassy office be closed, but the cabinet did not agree to this at the time.

Minister Blok calls on victims of the fundraising to file a report, so that the Public Prosecution Service (OM) can investigate the case.


Source: NOS