It is up to the United States to take in the suspects no longer regarded as terrorists or allow them to return safely to their home countries, Verhagen told the parliament during a debate on his budget for 2008.

Verhagen said Washington has not officially approached the Netherlands about the matter, Dutch news agency ANP reported.

During a visit by Dutch lawmakers to Guantanamo and Washington last month, U.S. officials suggested that the Netherlands could take in some former suspects because they might be tortured or sentenced to death if they return to their own countries.

The several dozen people in question were arrested by the Americans as suspected terrorists in countries like Afghanistan and brought to Guantanamo.

Some Dutch legislators from the Liberal Party said that the Netherlands and other NATO countries should be prepared to receive these people. The European Parliament is sympathetic to this idea.

But most parties, including coalition partners the Christian Democrats and the Labor Party, are fiercely opposed. They argued that the Americans have created this problem and must find a solution themselves.