Netherlands Hard Line On Immigration

The Dutch government is proposing that people applying to live in The Netherlands will have to take an examination to prove that they understand the language and culture, before they get here. Today's Rita Verdonk, the Minister for Integration and Immigration, said a video film designed to capture the essence of Dutch life would be sent to applicants in their home countries. The proposals were murder of film maker Theo van Gogh in Amsterdam last November. Murders and death threats from Muslim extremists have been matched by rising assaults on immigrants and arson attacks on mosques, the Telegraph reported. There are now nearly a million Muslims in The Netherlands, or six per cent of the population, the Telegraph said. It also comes at a time when legal requirement to carry identification at all times when out in public. This law came into effect on 1 January 2005. Neville Hobson is the author of the popular Crayon. Visit Neville Hobson's blog: