Formal ceremonies in which foreigners take on the Dutch nationality are hardly making any contribution to giving newcomers a sense of identification with their adopted countrymen. The benefits of the ceremonies have been brought into question in a critical report by the Dutch justice ministry.

Since 2006, local councils are required to organise naturalisation ceremonies. The then immigration and integration minister Rita Verdonk assumed such ceremonies would help newcomers become part of society. But according to the report, the ceremonies have little added value for many naturalised citizens. Monica Smit, one of the report’s authors explains.

“These people are already very committed to the Netherlands in all kinds of ways. They feel emotionally and functionally connected. They work here, they study here, they do voluntary work, they have contacts in the Netherlands, which isn’t surprising, because half of them have lived in the Netherlands for over ten years.”

Rights and duties
The idea of the naturalisation ceremony mainly came from the United States. It was meant to reinforce the sense of citizenship. During the ceremony, the mayor explains to newcomers that citizenship means you have rights and duties. Duties, like respecting democracy.

All good intentions aside, some newcomers find the ceremony patronising. Radio Netherlands Worldwide journalist Sandesh Bhugaloo (35) from Mauritius is one of them:

“I didn’t think much of the ceremony. It was awful. You had to sing and pledge an oath. I think it is really stupid. I am just like any other person. I understand that I have to integrate and that the Netherlands has a different culture. But to have to promise, now that I am Dutch, that I have to do this and cannot do that? I find that ridiculous.”

Festive
Other critics think the ceremonies are a waste of money and cast doubt about the how much new citizens assimilate. But the Association of Dutch Municipalities dismisses the criticisms. Spokesperson Frea Broekman says it is important to “mark the event festively” when a new citizen is naturalised. And rejects the idea that the ceremony does not help:

“We think it is important to mark the fact that you are taking on a new nationality. We can see that this does not just depend on a ceremony. It is a process and it is important that afterwards someone participates in society, for example by doing voluntary work. So that people feel they belong. And the ceremony is an important part of that process.”

Cup of coffee
Ms Broekman does not believe councils should scrap ceremonies to meet expected government cuts. Local councils are allowed to decide how much to spend on a ceremony, she says. It could be a modest gathering with a cup of coffee at the town hall or a big event with guests at a rented venue. There are no guidelines, so costs are not a problem.