The Dutch sailed to Gaza with relief supplies as part of an international fleet. They were arrested by Israel in international waters and sent to prison in that country.
The Dutch embassy helped the activists in detention to get out of Israel as quickly as possible. According to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was made clear to the Dutch at that time that the costs for airline tickets had to be reimbursed.
‘If you see this, I have been kidnapped by Israel’: these are the intercepted Dutch people who were on the Gaza aid fleet
The action group reports that two activists have now received an invoice. The spokeswoman does not know how much money they have to repay.
Unjustly
The activists believe it is unfair that they have to pay for the plane tickets. “A genocide is underway,” the spokeswoman said. “People risk their lives to go there. They end up in jail and then they receive a bill from the Dutch government.”
The ministry explains that in this case there was no repatriation, as can be the case during a disaster. The embassy did provide consular assistance and “in exceptional cases” flights were booked for the Dutch. It was made clear to the activists that these had to be repaid “as the ministry does not provide financial assistance as part of regular consular assistance.”