The ruling VVD is presenting draft legislation to parliament this week that will link knowledge of the Dutch language to welfare benefits, party leader Stef Blok told tv programme Pauw & Witteman on Monday evening.

Anyone applying for welfare benefits will be expected to speak Dutch or at least be making serious efforts to learn the language.
‘There are thousands of people on benefits who do not have Dutch nationality and speak little or no Dutch,’ Blok said. ‘They need to find work as quickly as possible, but that seem impossible if you can’t make yourself understood.’
The current welfare law says only people with a long-term link with the Netherlands can claim benefits, but the VVD thinks the wording should be tightened up.
The bill is an initiative of the parliamentary party, not the government.