"That practise has since been stopped, unless it is impossible by law to renounce your original nationality."

Or if you marry a Dutch person.

I wonder how much the number of "permanent residents" has risen since that silly law came into force? I'm sure at a higher rate than those who renounced their original nationality to become Dutch.

By CW | December 14, 2009 11:59 AM

The idea that you cannot keep your original citizenship anymore (since 1997) is not entirely true. There are loopholes in the legislation. The IND's site lists them, though they are well hidden. I've lived here for 37 years and obtained NL citizenship four years ago (am now dual US & NL). In my case, the loophole was: if you lived in NL for five consecutive years before the age of 18, you do not have to renounce your other citizenship. That wasn't the only loophole, either, though I can't remember the other ones...

By Mark Speer | December 14, 2009 3:22 PM

There are about 18 exemptions provided by low, for keeping your original nationality.

By Michael | December 14, 2009 3:53 PM

I personally don't think double nationality is an issue for the debate here in the Netherlands as many other countries have same sort of possibilities.

There should be no doubt on the integrity and patriotism of the dual national by any means.If majority of the Dutch Turks or Moroccans are utilizing this opportunity would any body let us know that they have been working against the security and stability of the Netherlands? The answer is NO. So why should we make noise on this or join those extremely narrow minded people willing to crush unity among us as Dutch Nationals!!

By Khalid Ahmed Chaudry | December 14, 2009 4:22 PM

Or if a Dutch person takes up the nationality of his foreign spouse.

By Chris Schoneveld | December 14, 2009 4:47 PM

No-one should have dual nationality....once you become a citizen of your adopted country that is it.....if you do not want that you should reconsider your stay in that country

By john manning | December 14, 2009 6:30 PM

Why would you give them the Dutch nationality asked my wife who is Japanese.Why indeed I thought, they can be Turk or Maroccan. You seem to have the same confused governments like we have.No doubt she got a point there.

By Pieter van Schaaiij | December 14, 2009 7:29 PM

Dear Mr. Manning,

I am here because my husband is Dutch and the immigration laws in my country will not allow me to sponsor him to live there at that time. Meanwhile my only child, my adult son is back home because Holland will not allow me to sponsor him to live here.

Now I work and pay taxes and try to be a good citizen; for living up to my responsibilities I should be entitled to the same rights as any Dutch person.

But if something happened to my son, I also need the right to go home to him.

My family comes first, period. That's not traitorous or non-patriotic, that's just common sense.

By CW | December 15, 2009 7:57 AM

What a silly law it is; allowing some to hold dual citizenship while forcing others to give up their birthrights creates a double standard. The law is a concoction to imbue loyalty to the Dutch State and to close tax and financial loopholes to a select immigrant group -- it achieved neither. I was hoping the new EU constitution would eliminate such select discrimination.

By Buzzer | December 15, 2009 8:12 AM

"Once you have become a citizen of your adopted country, that's it" is a far too simplistic way of thinking for an issue that can be quite complex. It certainly doesn't describe my situation. I was born in Switzerland, half my family is German, the other half American. I was given an American passport at birth. I came to NL when I was six. I feel American in the sense that it is my mother tongue, but I feel Dutch in the sense that I have lived here since I was six (am now 43). So what am I? And feeling both Dutch and American simultaneously, why shouldn't I have both passports? Life isn't always as simple as "show your allegiance to one country only or get out"...

By Mark Speer | December 15, 2009 8:33 AM