Verlenging naturalisatietermijnen

Reactie

Vraag1

I strongly disagree with the idea of extending the Dutch naturalisation requirement from 5 years to 10 years. The current 5-year rule already strikes a fair balance, allowing newcomers to demonstrate their commitment to the Netherlands while ensuring they can build stable and secure lives here. Extending this period would create more harm than good.
Here are several reasons why the naturalisation period should not be increased:
1. Living in prolonged uncertainty about one’s future status causes stress and anxiety, which in turn affects both personal wellbeing and productivity.
2. Longer waiting times create unnecessary instability for families, making it harder for children to feel secure and fully integrate into society.
3. Immigrants are often skilled workers, taxpayers, and entrepreneurs. Citizenship enables them to invest long-term—whether through buying homes, starting businesses, or pursuing higher-level careers—benefiting the Dutch economy.
4. A shorter pathway (5 years) encourages faster integration, stronger social cohesion, and a genuine sense of belonging. Extending the period risks leaving people in limbo.
5. Delays discourage long-term commitments and may push skilled workers to choose countries with faster and more welcoming naturalisation processes.
It is also worth noting that highly educated migrants contribute from day one by working, paying taxes, and supporting the economy. Treating them the same way as groups who rely heavily on government support is both unfair and counterproductive.
At the very least, there should be a transitional arrangement so that those who are already well-settled in the Netherlands are not suddenly forced to wait twice as long to gain the security of citizenship.
For these reasons, I urge that the naturalisation period remain at 5 years and not be extended to 10.

Bijlage