"My parents, my sister and me were turned out of the centre for asylum seekers. They just left us on the street, in front of the entrance of the centre. They didn't even give us time to put on our shoes. We were only wearing socks. They threw our shoes over the gate. We could put them on there, outside on the street. My sister was still in her pyjamas."(Arif in 'A home for every child').

Around 30.000 children stay 'illegally' in the Netherlands. They are excluded from social services and therefore they are literally out on the streets. This violates their human dignity.

According to Defence for Children International Netherlands, Unicef Netherlands, the Landelijk Ongedocumenteerden Steunpunt and the Nederlands Juristen Comité voor de Mensenrechten, turning children out on the streets because they do not have a residence permit constitutes a violation of the UN Covention on the Rights of the Child and the European Social Charter. That is why these organizations, together with some lawyers, have filed a complaint at the European Committee of Social Rights. This Committee judges whether the practice and law of the states party are in conformity with the Charter. The Charter is the Council of Europe instrument that protects the social and economic rights of everybody in Europe.

The complaint on the right to housing for 'illegal children' is declared admissible by the European Committee of Social Rights. The complaining organizations hope that the Dutch authorities will make an effort to provide housing for all children, together with their parents.