Second nationalities will no longer be registered

The new cabinet of the Dutch government has announced that it plans to stop registering second nationalities of people born in the Netherlands who have dual nationality.

Furthermore, if the second nationality of a native Dutch citizen is already published, they will have the option of having it removed. However, naturalized Dutch citizens will continue to have their additional nationality appear in the register.

According to a government statement, the cabinet is attempting to comply with the wishes of those with double nationality who do not prefer to be confronted with their second nationality on a daily basis.

Now, babies born with double nationality have their second nationality registered automatically, even if the parents don't prefer that it happens.

The new approach will not cause a child to lose their second nationality.

In Dutch, anyone who has at least one parent born outside the Netherlands is referred to as an "allochtoon." The official use of this word has become controversial in recent years, and in May the Council for Social Development (Raad voor Maatschappelijke Ontwikkeling) recommended that only the birthplace of a child should registered, and not that of their parents.