The government’s plan to increase the residency requirement to become Dutch from five to seven years will not encourage integration, the Council of State said on Friday.

The cabinet wants to increase the period to seven years saying it will inprove the chances of new Dutch nationals finding work.

The Council, the government’s highest advisory body, points out that immigrants from non-EU countries have to pass integration exams within three years, Nos television says.

However, although EU nationals are exempt from the formal integration process, they do have to meet language and other requirements to become Dutch.

Increasing the residency rule means EU nationals will have more time to meet the other requirements which is not good for integration in general, the Council is quoted as saying by Nos television.

The council also says it sees no reason why children adopted from abroad should have to wait seven years to become naturalised Dutch citizens.