Netherlands to strip dual nationals of Dutch citizenship if they join IS

Netherlands to strip dual nationals of Dutch citizenship if they join IS

PanARMENIAN.Net - Dutch MPs voted on Tuesday, May 25 to strip dual nationals of their Dutch citizenship if they join terror groups such as the Islamic State group to fight as jihadists, officials said, according to AFP.

The move comes in the wake of attacks in Paris last year and in Brussels in March, carried out by European extremists thought to have returned home after joining radical organizations in Syria or Iraq as foreign fighters.

The lower house of parliament approved the controversial bill to revoke the Dutch citizenship of people with dual nationality, if they are deemed to have joined foreign terror groups like IS or al-Qaeda -- even if they have not been convicted of any crime, AFP says.

The Dutch decision is the latest move as countries across the globe grapple with the problem of how to deal with Islamists leaving to join groups like IS, which boasts between 27,000 and 31,000 foreign fighters from 86 countries, according to a report released in December by the New York-based Soufan security think-tank.

"These jihadists can pose a threat to national security when they return to the Netherlands," the Dutch justice ministry said in a statement.

"Therefore, even without a conviction on a terror charge, the justice minister can decide to strip a person of their nationality, if that person is deemed to have joined a terror organization," ministry spokesman Wiebe Alkema told AFP.

The bill now has to go to the upper house in the coming weeks for a final thumbs-up before becoming law, AFP says.

The ruling would not apply however to those people who only have Dutch nationality, Alkema added. Under international conventions, countries are not allowed to intentionally make people stateless.

 Top stories
Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive.
In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million).
The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot".
The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads.
Partner news
---