Kanawu Radio number 1 news portal
The month of January, in which Prime Minister Theresa May mercilessly lost an important brexitemming in the British House of Commons , has caused a peak in the number of Britons who let themselves be naturalized to become Dutch. Eighty naturalizations took place, against two hundred over the whole of 2018.
The number of naturalisations – whoever chooses to lose his or her British nationality – has been rising since the entire Brexit process began. In 2015 there were only 19 switchers, in 2016 41, in 2017 125 and last year so two hundred, according to figures from the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND). In December 2018 about 30 Britons took the radical step, a month
Many of the 46,000 Britons living and / or working in the Netherlands have no idea what their status is in our country once the brexit is a fact, especially if the deal that Prime Minister Theresa May concluded with the European Union (EU) does not go through the British House of Commons is coming. By taking a Dutch passport and handing in their British, they are rid of that insecurity and, for example, do not lose the luxury to travel freely through the EU.
Dutch nationals in Great Britain (ie 100,000) who are forced to take a British passport will in most cases lose their Dutch passport. The Netherlands does not applaud a dual nationality, because that integration would be in the way.
Emergency law
D66 is working on an emergency act, which must ensure that Dutch Britons and British Dutch will be spared this radical choice. For the time being, they must be able to obtain dual nationality, says member of parliament Sjoerd Sjoerdsma. Minister Stef Blok (VVD, Foreign Affairs) was not enthusiastic about the proposal last month.
“This development underlines the absolute necessity of a safety net for Dutch people in the United Kingdom and the British here”, says Sjoerdsma in a reaction. “The urgency for the emergency law is growing by the day with a no deal Brexit and chaos threatens.”
Naturalization or by option
Britons who in one way or another have a Dutch background, can become Dutch through another route: by option. The fast and easy option route is meant for Britons who already have a bond with our country, for example because they were born or raised here, have a Dutch parent or are married to a Dutchman and have lived in our country for more than fifteen years. Anyone who becomes a Dutch national by option may keep his or her British passport.
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The latest figures on Britons who become Dutch nationals, date from 2017. Then 1128 English, Scots, Northern Irish or Welshmen opted for this route. By comparison, in 2010 there were only 140. It seems plausible that since 1 January 2018 a few thousand Britons have become Dutch nationals.
On Saturday, a number of Britons will tell in this newspaper why they are taking the radical step to exchange their passports for a Dutch one. “I feel betrayed by my country.”
