Most of it I find fine. However, I would have preferred not to have the reduction in taxes and the 500 eur tax free allowance in order not to increase self-risk and aboish the zorgtoeslag. OK, health insurance becomes income-dependant but it is not specified how much and I guess we will all be paying more. also the 50eur fee for "unnecessary" hospital visits is a very bad idea as it paves the way to interpretation. How bad one feels is totally individual. As a patient I do not always know how serious my symptoms are. more people will risk not getting help because they won't dare go to the hospital... and... what about the double nationality issue??

Immigrants to be excluded from welfare (bijstand) for first seven years of residency . I don't get this , so i have lived here fore 4 years now , if I loose my job I won't get unemployment benefit?
???

@Dmitrij, if you had a job you get unemployment benefit (WW). Bijstand is different.

Dmitrij, feel free to read the difference between a "bijstand" and WW (the benefits you are talking about) ... it is a good thing you don´t know it though.

Welfare is not the same as an unemployment benefit, Dmitrij.

Weird that allowing dual nationality hasn't been mentioned, but extending the residency period from five to seven years has. What is the rational behind that? And is it still three years for those married to Dutch citizens?

Have they said anything about the european crisis??

I'm a "Kennismigrant" who has been living in NL for 4 years. I would like to know if they plan to change residency requirement for naturalization from 5 to 7 years for newcomers or also those already living here.

I can see that everyone makes a sacrifice except for the Queen (this is the most expensive monarchy in Europe!). Health insurance changes make me scared. No wellfare for inmigrants for 7 years? I guess it is only fair if they do not have to pay for it either.

Thank you all for explaining .

Evaluation of the Wietpas still not made public, but the card is to be dropped and "admission restrictions" remain, what will that come to mean? The original coffeeshop aim was "to protect experimenting youngsters from heroin" - and the UvA's evaluations showed it did that nearly perfectly. Those who deliver junkie drugs services see every failure of this policy so should be more directly involved. This is no trivial issue for parents either.

they should not tamper with the health system. Any kind of "penalty" will force people (especially those with low income) not to go and be checked/tested. If they end up needing surgery later how will that save anyone money? It's completely short sighted.

Ban on wild animals in circuses, and legal drinking age for all alcohol (hard drug) to be increased to 18 seem right.
Cannabis : what new admission restrictions ?
Prisoners to pay a contribution towards their upkeep : sordid idea.

Healthcare and education measures sound like they are not looking for second term. Are they trying to milk the system for some corporations as much as possible for this term?

In the big cities of the Randstad, it is estimated that 25% of workforce is comprised of expats. Expats who pay taxes, buy homes, cars, invest in Dutch pensions. None of them get to vote. The proposed changes are making me and perhaps other expats take a look at leaving the NL. It is a great country that has lost its way. Germany seems a lot more welcoming to 'kennismigrants' these days. We cannot vote for government, but we can vote with our wallets. Combined with the drop in tourism from the wietpas thinking, I'd imagine Dutch GDP is in a for a measurable drop. Such a shame, since NL really has been such a great country.

On the employment benefit(WW) I believe one must be able to speak Dutch ? Apparently no Dutch no money. Which is interesting and possibly illegal as you've already directly contributed to this insurance/benefit in your taxes !!

Does anyone know if the mortgage rules brought in the the interim government still stand, where to qualify for the interest mortgage relief you have to pay off 100% of the capital ...?

First of all - thank you DN for making this list. Outstanding service.

I can't find anything on the list which strikes me as blatently wrong or misguided. I hope the housing market can stabilise now that people know what they will sign up for with a new mortgage. I do believe it was important to target existing mortgages as well, otherwise no one would move for the next 30 years. Some odd balls (prisoners, olympics, wild animals). All in all, I can digest this result.

oh I wish they would stop meddling. Nice that they are going to make all these corrupt little special interest groups happy, shame there is nothing for 99% of the population in there.

Does any one have any idea when these agreements will be law? My question is about the nationalization. I am eligibale to apply for citizenship from 1st of Feb 2013 (5 years). Are they going to change the law from the beggining of 2013?

@new, wrong. This is about Bijstand not WW. Bijstand is a benefit you didn't pay for.

I have the same question as Mo and HM - would be great if anyone has info on when this extension from 5 to 7 years will come into law. I gave a quick call to IND today and the only thing they could share is that it will take time...

No, new, I'm on unemployment benefits and will be doing the staatsexamen at the end of the year. It's not welfare. And until they make it compulsory for people to be fluent in Dutch to work here, they can't make you be fluent in Dutch to collect the benefits you paid for.

Welfare though? I really don't expect that law to really affect a lot of people. Asylum seekers must go through inburgeringscursus...immigrants usually have a Dutch spouse so wouldn't collect welfare on their own...Expats would probably leave the country if they were made redundant while still ineligible for unemployment benefits...

So I don't know...perhaps EU people who came here for work and are now unemployed?

Can someone please explain what this means. " Immigrants to be excluded from welfare (bijstand) for first seven years of residency". I saw the comments above but i still don't get it.

Mo, suggest you to check IND site for details.