Moroccan nationality : Two proposals submitted to the Dutch and Belgian parliaments

The lower house of the Dutch Parliament examined on Thursday, February 4, the dual citizenship of Dutch-Moroccans, at the request of a member of the Democrats 66 party. Jan Paternotte's proposal indicates that «400,000 Dutch people of Moroccan origin must be able to renounce their Moroccan citizenship», wrote Dutch newspaper Volkskrant.

Nahima Lanjri, a Belgian MP of Moroccan origin from the Christian Democratic and Flemish party (CD&V), who submitted a similar proposal to her parliament to help those who wish to «get rid» of their Moroccan citizenship, is also behind this initiative.

«Dutch and Belgian Moroccans can then feel 100% Dutch or Belgian in these countries», the same source added.

In December, Het Kabinet indicated that it «sees no possibility of helping Dutch nationals who want to get rid of another citizenship». «Under international law, it is not possible to force countries to allow citizens living abroad to renounce their nationality», explained the Dutch government. 

In an online manifesto published in September 2019, Dutch-Moroccans stirred controversy, asking the Dutch government to help them in their fight to end the legal obligation of Moroccan citizenship.