Netherlands: Tougher marriage-immigration laws
The cabinet is to introduce tougher rules for marriage-related immigration, justice minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin and integration minister Eberhard van der Laan announced on Friday.
At the moment, foreign brides must be at least 21 years old but this may be increased to 24, Nos tv reports.
Although the 21-year age limit was introduced in 2004 by then-justice minister Rita Verdonk, newspapers and broadcast media claim girls as young as 15 are still allowed in to the Netherlands as brides.
Foreign brides also face tougher language and integration tests in their home countries before they can come to the Netherlands, the ministers said. It is unclear at the moment if these more difficult exams will apply to all would-be immigrants.
'Women often end up living in their parents-in-law's home and this can lead to situations bordering on slavery,' Van der Laan was quoted by Nos tv as saying.
Some women are not allowed out, speak hardly any Dutch and are unknown to the Dutch authorities, the ministers said. There is a real risk their children are not raised to be adequate citizens... which can lead to them dropping out of school, becoming a public nuisance or, at worst, turning to crime,' the note to MPs said.
Hirsch Ballin said the cabinet stressed the rights of people to marry but said it wanted to ensure there was no compulsion, fraud and abuse.
(more)
Source: DutchNews (English)
See also: Netherlands: Gov't to ban cousin marriages
The cabinet is to introduce tougher rules for marriage-related immigration, justice minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin and integration minister Eberhard van der Laan announced on Friday.
At the moment, foreign brides must be at least 21 years old but this may be increased to 24, Nos tv reports.
Although the 21-year age limit was introduced in 2004 by then-justice minister Rita Verdonk, newspapers and broadcast media claim girls as young as 15 are still allowed in to the Netherlands as brides.
Foreign brides also face tougher language and integration tests in their home countries before they can come to the Netherlands, the ministers said. It is unclear at the moment if these more difficult exams will apply to all would-be immigrants.
'Women often end up living in their parents-in-law's home and this can lead to situations bordering on slavery,' Van der Laan was quoted by Nos tv as saying.
Some women are not allowed out, speak hardly any Dutch and are unknown to the Dutch authorities, the ministers said. There is a real risk their children are not raised to be adequate citizens... which can lead to them dropping out of school, becoming a public nuisance or, at worst, turning to crime,' the note to MPs said.
Hirsch Ballin said the cabinet stressed the rights of people to marry but said it wanted to ensure there was no compulsion, fraud and abuse.
(more)
Source: DutchNews (English)
See also: Netherlands: Gov't to ban cousin marriages
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