Human Rights Watch says the Netherlands should scrap the tests taken abroad by would-be Dutch residents. It argues the tests are discriminatory and counter productive. The human rights organisation today presented extensive research into the citizenship tests.

Foreign nationals wishing to join their families in the Netherlands have to take the tests in their country of origin. Their knowledge of Dutch language and culture is assessed via telephone links at Dutch embassies and consulates, with candidates having to answer questions set by computer.

Alienated
People from the European Union, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, Australia, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea and the United States do not have to take the test. Surinamese citizens who are able to show that they have followed basic schooling in Dutch are also exempt. Human Rights Watch contends that this is discrimination.

Haleh Charokh, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, says: "What's more, it's a signal that certain groups are not welcome. And this can lead to these communities actually becoming alienated rather than becoming integrated into Dutch society."

The Citizenship Tests Abroad Act (Wet Inburgeringsexamen Buitenland) was the brainchild of the then immigration minister Rita Verdonk and passed into law in March 2006. The legislation was designed to improve the integration of newcomers to the Netherlands. Human Rights Watch argues that the Turkish and Moroccan communities are disproportionately hit by the law. Together, they form the largest group of immigrants requesting family reunion.

Exempt
The Dutch government says people from certain countries are exempt under the legislation because they share a similar social and economic background to the Dutch. It is argued that their residency will not lead to "undesirable and unlimited immigration which might lead to integration problems within Dutch society". Human Rights Watch maintains this demonstrates the measure was primarily introduced to limit immigration and not to improve integration. The reasoning behind the claim that people from developing countries are less likely to be successful in integrating into Dutch society is also said to be unclear.

Present Integration Minister Ella Vogelaar supports Mrs Verdonk's policy, and rejects the idea that the rules amount to discrimination: "There was a thorough debate when the legislation was introduced and the Council of State ruled that there was no discrimination, indirect or otherwise," she says.

Obstacles
There are a number of obstacles to be overcome before someone abroad can take the citizenship test. The cost of sitting the exam, at 350 euros, is high, especially given the low average earnings in some countries. Preparing for the exam also costs money, with the Dutch government offering a course for 64 euros and with the possibility in some places of paying for coaching in Dutch.

There are long waiting lists for the exam in a number of countries, which can sometimes mean delays of more than six months. Such problems have led to a 20 percent reduction in the number of families being reunited in the year following the Act's introduction. The reduction in family-reunion requests from Morocco (44 percent) and Turkey (39 percent) is even more dramatic. However, 90 percent of candidates pass the citizenship tests and this led the government to make the spoken-Dutch section more difficult from 15 March this year.

Human Rights Watch is pushing for the citizenship tests abroad to be scrapped entirely, saying their extension to all immigrants wanting to live in the Netherlands would be no solution. Mr Charokh explains the reasons behind this position by saying it is impossible to guarantee that the circumstances in which such tests are taken are the same throughout the world.

*RNW translation (mw)