Verlenging naturalisatietermijnen

Reactie

Vraag1

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am a lead software engineer residing in the Netherlands under the Highly Skilled Migrant program, where I have been living and working for the past three years. I would like to express my strong concern regarding the proposal to extend the minimum residency requirement for naturalisation from five to ten years.

My decision to relocate to the Netherlands was a deliberate and long-term commitment, made with full trust in the legal and social framework that was in place — including the five-year path toward naturalisation. This framework has provided predictability and a clear sense of security, which are essential for professionals and families who choose to build their future here.

Extending the requirement to ten years would, however, have several adverse consequences:

Erosion of legal certainty and trust: Changing such a fundamental rule retrospectively would undermine confidence in the reliability of the system.

Delayed social integration: Citizenship represents stability, belonging, and civic participation. Prolonging the path to this milestone would weaken these objectives.

Reduced competitiveness for the Netherlands: The current framework is one of the factors that make the country an attractive destination for global talent. Extending the waiting period risks discouraging skilled professionals from settling here long-term.


I respectfully urge the government to maintain the current five-year requirement. Should any modification be implemented, it is crucial that it not apply retroactively, and that residents who arrived under the five-year framework be covered by a grandfather clause, ensuring that the commitments made to them are upheld.