Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muižnieks is of the opinion that irregular migrant in the Netherlands find themselves in a legal no man’s land. This situation needs to be dealt with urgently, as Muižnieks calls for a humane approach in line with human rights standards. Migrants should be able to stay in the Netherlands if a return to their home countries proves to be very difficult or impossible. In that respect, the commissioner is happy to see that the Dutch government has issued residence permits to a number of such migrants, including children.