Dutch dual nationality on the rise

On January 1st last year there were 1.3 million Dutch citizens with a dual nationality, an increase of 3 percent compared to 2013. A quarter of them are Dutch-Moroccan, a quarter are Dutch-Turkish and the other half have other nationalities. This is according to figures released by Statistics Netherlands on Tuesday. This is the last figure that will be available on dual nationality. Since the implementation of the Basic Registration of Persons Act, the second nationality of Dutch citizens is no longer registered. Last year 27 thousand people became Dutch citizens through naturalization, compared to the average of about 20 thousand people a year since the introduction of the naturalization test in 2003. The people naturalized last year came from a wide variety of nationalities. Most of them were from Morocco - 2.6 thousand - followed by Turkey, Iraq, the former Soviet Union and Afghanistan, each with between one thousand and 1,500 people. According to Statistics Netherlands, factors that play a major role in whether or not a person will become naturalized are country of origin, age and family. Looking at immigrants who came to the Netherlands between 1995 and 2002, Statistic Netherlands found that half of the migrants who came from countries with low economic development or political instability have since become Dutch citizens. Less than 10 percent of migrants who came from countries that are economically and politically stable have become naturalized. The family situation also plays an important role. 42 percent of migrants who have a Dutch partner have been naturalized. Compared to about a quarter among those who have a non-Dutch partner or no partner. Another factor is the age of the migrants. More than half - 51.5 percent - of migrants who were between 15 an 18 years old when they arrived in the Netherlands have been naturalized. This percentage declines steadily as the age group increases, to only 11.8 percent of migrants who were 75 years old or older when they arrived in the country.