Minister Verdonk, nicknamed "Iron Rita", has consistently pursued a policy of combating illegal immigration and tightening requirements for naturalized Dutch citizens since her appointment to the post in 2003. Her draft laws banning the wearing of traditional Muslim clothing in public places and the immediate deportation of naturalized immigrants accused of inciting homophobia have become widely known.
The amendments to the naturalization law require all immigrants, including those who have already obtained Dutch citizenship under the old rules, to complete "integration courses". The courses last 600 hours, during which immigrants are taught "the basics of norms of behavior necessary for integration into Dutch society". As part of the courses, participants are required to watch videos of kissing homosexuals and women sunbathing topless. According to the authors of the bill, this program should "teach immigrants to be tolerant of the liberal rules adopted in the Netherlands".
According to the bill, an immigrant who fails the "integration exam" within five years must pay €1.000 to the treasury. This provision, like all amendments to the naturalization law, is retroactive. All immigrants naturalized under the old law will be required to take the "integration course" and retake the exam. According to preliminary estimates, the number of naturalized Dutch citizens who will have to take the "integration exam" ranges from 150,000 to 250,000 people. Persons who immigrated to the Netherlands from EU countries are exempt from taking the exam.
"We will serve as an example for all of Europe," Rita Verdonk said, presenting the new bill to the government. "The immigration authorities of Great Britain and Germany are already closely following our experience."