Verlenging naturalisatietermijnen

Reactie

Vraag1

Dear members of the consultation committee,

With this submission I wish to raise a clear objection to the proposal to extend the naturalization period from 5 to 10 years.

My main points are:
1. Inequality and discouragement
Extending the waiting period to 10 years undermines integration and discourages commitment from people who already contribute to Dutch society.
2. International comparison
The current 5-year requirement is consistent with European standards. A 10-year period is disproportionate and would place the Netherlands in an unusually strict position compared to other EU countries.
3. Legal certainty and trust
Many people have chosen to move to the Netherlands and build their lives here based on the existing law — namely, the right to apply for naturalization after 5 years. It would be both legally and morally unjust to change the rules retroactively for this group.
Therefore, I strongly urge that any change should only apply to new migrants arriving in the Netherlands after the law enters into force. For those already residing legally in the Netherlands, the 5-year rule must continue to apply.
4. Social cohesion
Individuals who are already integrated and have established families in the Netherlands would be disproportionately affected by a retroactive extension, which would unnecessarily delay their full participation in Dutch society.

Request
I respectfully ask the government:
• To maintain the current 5-year rule;
• Or, if the extension is nevertheless adopted, to explicitly guarantee that the new 10-year term will not apply retroactively to people who were already residing legally in the Netherlands before the law enters into force.

Sincerely,