New immigration law
Several months ago, the Dutch parliament ratified a new aliens act, which was originally set to take effect on 1 January 2011. It has since become clear that this date cannot be met due to technical problems with the Immigration and Naturalization Service’s (IND) new computer system. Despite these glitches, the new law – which has come to be known as the Modern Migration Policy Act (often referred to by its Dutch abbreviation ‘MoMi’) – will take effect within a relatively short timeframe.
This Modern Migration Policy is an attempt by the Dutch government to move towards a more selective admissions policy. The Netherlands is seeking to remain open for migrants with much-needed economic and cultural potential, while applying a restrictive policy to others. In order to achieve this, admission procedures must be made quicker and easier. The administrative burden on citizens and companies must be reduced dramatically. These measures are designed to stimulate the Dutch knowledge economy.
The following overview outlines the most important changes to affect international researchers.
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