Official Languages: Dutch, Frisian Government Type: Constitutional Monarchy Borders Belgium, Germany, and the North Sea

Population: 16,715,999 (2009 est.)

Net Migration Rate: 2.46 migrants/1,000 population

(2009 est.)
Religions: Roman Catholic 30%, Dutch Reformed 11%,

Calvinist 6%, other Protestant 3%, Muslim 5.8% (and growing), other 2.2%, no religious affiliation 42% (2006 est.) About 3 million of the Netherlands 16 million people are immigrants.

 With the growth of immigrants from non-liberal and religiously-

oriented societies migrating to the Netherlands, tension between the natives and their migrants has led to societal turmoil, political tension, and a blitzkrieg-style of protection for the Netherlands culture. This drastic increase of socio-political opposition from immigrants has caused the Netherlands to enact culturally-oriented laws that curb on the fascist and oppressive in nature. Liav Orgad proposes, not a culturally-centered form of admission/naturalization, but a concept called National Constitutionalism.

 The Netherlands has always been known for its liberal

policies such as
Free Speech Gender Equality Drug tolerance

Etc.

 The recent surge of migrants in the past few decades

from more conservative, typically Islamic, nations such as Turkey, Morocco, and Pakistan have led to a clash of cultural and political ideology in the Netherlands. This divide has led to radical religious beliefs from immigrants and radical, sometimes considered oppressive, liberalism from Dutch natives.

Most immigrants come from non-liberal societies; their culture travels with them and challenges their host countrys values.
With immigrants refusing to respect the Netherlands

constitutional laws and blatant intolerance of natives rights and cultural differences, new laws and regulations have been imposed to diminish further immigration into the Netherlands.
In 1998, The New Immigrants Act was created In 2007, the Integration Abroad Act was enacted In 2007, the Civic Integration Act replaced The New

Immigrants Act

 Due to resistance to

assimilate, these reforms were created to discriminate against specific ethnic and religious groups, putting them through rigorous cultural and language testing that imposes strong Dutch ideology in order for one to pass These tests further discriminate against conservative background immigrants by exempting Western peoples such as citizens from the USA, Canada, and Japan from taking the test.

 The Integration of New Immigrants Act of

1998 requires immigrants, including family members, to take integration courses of Dutch language and Dutch society once they are in the Netherlands.

 Another reform, The Integration Abroad Act

of 2005 forced every person ages 16-65 asking to enter the Netherlands on a nonvisitor visa should go to the Dutch embassy in his or her country and participate in civic learning and language courses

 In 2007, the 1998 Immigrants ct was replaced by the

Civic Integration Act. This Dutch test is a culturebased concept. For example, the applicant has to watch a two-hour film on Dutch society. The film gives the impression that it would be better to stay out of the Netherlands. As Liav Orgad put it, [The film] treats the immigrant as an alien from Mars The film exposes the applicant to Dutch customs, such as shaking hands with women and bringing birthday presents. Two scenes even show topless women and homosexuals kissing.

 The Dutch have moved from one extreme to another

From accepting nearly anyone for migration after the

second World War to now only granting citizenship as something like a reward. While it is understandable to wish to preserve a countrys culture and political ideas, there are lines of racism and prejudice being crossed in the Netherlands which contradict the core of what their country is founded by. Luckily, Liav Orgad has provided a potential compromise

 Liav Orgad suggests that in admission criteria, the

Netherlands, as well as other countrys struggling with similar problems, resist using culture as a criterion. Orgad proposes that the Netherlands ask immigrants to subscribe to its respective core political liberal principles. This idea uses a system of governing behavior in liberal democracies. It also gives the migrant an ability to peacefully, and democratically vote against current laws they may not agree with. However, they must adhere to these laws so long as they are enacted. By doing this, migrants can conform to the constitutional principles of the Netherlands without subjecting themselves to a sense of alienation due to current intensive culturally-oriented naturalization methods.

 Abiding by this National Constitutionalism does not

force immigrants to lose their culture. It isnt describing Dutchness like the film from the Civic Integration Act. This concept is merely making an immigrant into a citizen; a person who is joining a concrete, welldefined and, hopefully, thriving community.