Verlenging naturalisatietermijnen

Reactie

Vraag1

I would like to respectfully point out that the proposed extension of the naturalization period from five to ten years should not apply to knowledge migrants, i.e., highly educated workers who work in scarce sectors or have been trained here. My comments explicitly do not pertain to asylum seekers or other groups, as it is understandable that the legislature can make different choices for those categories. However, for knowledge migrants, an extension to ten years is neither necessary nor proportionate in relation to the desired goal of integration and system security. Firstly, such a change undermines the legal certainty and trust of people who have already structured their lives based on the current five-year period, who have learned Dutch, have completed the civic integration process, and are actively participating in society. Moving the goalposts retroactively is discouraging and could actually lead to the departure of the talent the Netherlands wants to retain. Secondly, less drastic and more targeted means are available to guarantee integration, for example, by maintaining the five-year term but linking it to clear conditions such as continuous employment and tax payment, a clean criminal record, and achieving language proficiency level B1. Thirdly, there are public and security interests that argue for retaining a shorter term for knowledge migrants, as the Dutch economy, in an era of artificial intelligence and increasing digital threats, needs to attract and retain highly qualified talent. Delaying Dutch citizenship also means postponing career opportunities, access to public sector positions, full mobility within the European Union, and entrepreneurship, and increases the likelihood that talent will move to countries that do offer a clear and faster pathway. For these reasons, I urge the government to exempt knowledge migrants from the ten-year term and maintain a five-year pathway for this group based on demonstrable results. If the law is amended, it is essential to include clear provisions that do not apply retroactively and provide transitional law, so that people who have lived and contributed in the Netherlands for five years are not disadvantaged by a subsequent change in the rules.