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Stricter requirements for marriage migration

News item | 06-10-2009

The government wants to discourage marriage migration to the Netherlands if the partners’ prospects are poor. It plans to step up the requirements for marriage migration and integration.

This is what the government wrote in a recent letter to parliament.

The measures are intended to improve new migrants' starting position, improve integration and prevent children from growing up with disadvantages.

Fraud and abuse

The government wants to tackle fraud and the abuse of marriage migration. It is planning the following measures.

• Liaison officers from the Immigration and Naturalisation Service will be stationed at embassies in order to take preventive measures in the event of abuse or coercion in relation to a proposed marriage.
• The first year after the migrant has been admitted to the country, the income status of his or her partner will be subjected to stricter checks, to ensure that it still meets the required standard.
• Couples will be monitored to see if they claim social assistance or are involved in public order disturbances.

Civic integration

The level of the 'spoken Dutch' test in the civic integration examination abroad will be raised to A1. The government is also planning to add a written component to the examination.

Marriages

The government wants to combat undesirable aspects of marriage migration, such as abandonment, domestic violence, forced marriage, polygamy and marriage between cousins.

The government plans to ban marriage between cousins

Research

The government plans to investigate whether it is possible:

• to require marriage migrants to undergo more education once they have been admitted to the Netherlands;
• by means of a treaty amendment to raise the minimum age at which the Netherlands recognises marriages contracted abroad from 15 to 18;
• no longer to recognise polygamous marriages contracted abroad.

The government also plans to see whether someone wishing to marry a partner from abroad can be required to have a home of his/her own.