D66 and GL-PvdA want to anchor right to dual nationality in law

D66 and GroenLinks-PvdA want to have it established in law that people who voluntarily acquire a second nationality may keep their Dutch one. The two parties have introduced a bill to that effect.

The parties think this would prevent Dutch citizens from ending up in a foreign country without a passport if a country decides to take away their nationality. They cite an example from Kuwait, where citizenship can be obtained through marriage. Dutch citizens who do so are required to surrender their Dutch passport. In 2024, Kuwait revoked the nationality of 42,000 people, which could leave individuals stateless.

People also lost their state citizenship in Bahrain, Nicaragua, and Russia. A repeat of these types of situations is what the MPs Jan Paternotte and Songül Mutluer of D66 and GL-PvdA are trying to avoid.

“In a world where leaders sometimes use deportation and nationality as leverage, the Netherlands must guarantee the security of Dutch citizenship,” said Paternotte. The MPs pointed to Denmark and Germany, where keeping one’s original nationality was recently made possible.

This law would also make it easier for people to get their Dutch nationality back. This would apply to anyone who was forced to give up their passport since 2003, which was the year that the rules on Dutch citizenship changed.

The law also ensures that immigrants who acquire Dutch citizenship may keep their original passport.