Verlenging naturalisatietermijnen

Reactie

Vraag1

this change is betrayal.

I am completely against the proposal to increase the citizenship requirement from 5 years to 10 years. For people like me, this is betrayal.

When I accepted the offer to move to the Netherlands as a Highly Skilled Migrant, one of the biggest reasons I chose this country over others was the possibility of citizenship after 5 years. That promise mattered — it gave me and my family hope that we could truly belong here. Based on that, we invested everything: we bought a house, paid significant taxes, learned the language, and started preparing for exams. We gave our time, energy, and love to this country because we believed in the path that was presented to us.

Now, to suddenly push that requirement to 10 years is not just unfair, it is deeply discouraging. It feels like the rules are being changed halfway through the game. Instead of feeling included, we would feel trapped — living in a country we care about, but being told for another 5 years that we don’t fully belong. Our children, too, would lose the chance to grow up with a clear identity and sense of inclusiveness.

We are not outsiders. We are already part of the Dutch communities we live in, already contributing, already committed. To make us wait another 5 years sends the wrong message: that our dedication doesn’t matter, that our efforts are not valued.

This proposal will not only cause distress to people who trusted the Netherlands, but it will also make the country less welcoming to future talent. At the very least, it should not apply to those who are already here, who made life-changing decisions based on the current law.

We came here because we love this country. Please don’t make us regret that choice.