The ceremony was held at the Government Administration Building, as was the first such ceremony held in December 2008, on Kingdom Day. At that time, a total of 67 persons received the Dutch nationality.
St. Maarten introduced the ceremony, taking into consideration that becoming a Dutch national is, indeed, a very special occasion, similarly as in other countries, when non-nationals obtain citizenship.
The Dutch naturalization ceremony was first launched in the Netherlands in 2001 by the then Minister for Urban Policy and the Integration of Ethnic Minorities. At that time, participation still took place on a voluntary basis. In 2006, under former Minister for Immigration and Integration, Rita Verdonk, the ceremony became a compulsory part of the naturalization procedure.
What is also new to the procedure is a declaration of allegiance, to be administered to all new Dutch citizens in the Netherlands and on the islands. The declaration of allegiance will therefore become a permanent part of the ceremony.
The aim of this new compulsory part is to emphasize the allegiance to the Netherlands - or if a person lives in one of the other countries of the Kingdom: the allegiance with that part of the Kingdom - and the democratic legal order.
At Friday's ceremony, applicants will be presented with a notification of the granting of Dutch citizenship.
The purpose of a naturalization ceremony is to have new citizens feel more involved with their community and the kingdom of the Netherlands, fully appreciating the rights and obligations of all Dutch citizens. The ceremony is then seen as a culmination of the integration process.
The compulsory nature of the ceremony is seen as an advantage and seeks to reiterate that the attaining of Dutch citizenship is a serious matter to which a great deal of value is attached. It is also to show that authorities attach great significance to the successful completion of this procedure.
It should be noted that this formal procedure is intended for everyone who becomes a Dutch national through option or naturalization.
The new Dutch citizens invited to the event are reminded that they will only become a Dutch national if they attend the naturalization ceremony. If they do not attend the ceremony, they will receive a new invitation for the next naturalization ceremony. The maximum period in which one has a chance to attend the ceremony is one (1) year. If one fails to attend the ceremony within that year, one would have to be subjected to the naturalization process once more.
New applicants are meanwhile being reminded of the procedures for the administering of the new naturalization test. This is one part of the naturalization process for foreigners residing in the Netherlands Antilles, and which came into effect as of the 1st of October, 2007.
Foreigners desiring to become a Dutch national must first take a naturalization test. Only after having passed the complete test, may the foreigner submit a request for naturalization.
The naturalization test in the Netherlands Antilles is focused primarily on testing one's knowledge of the community and the governmental structure, as well knowledge of the Dutch or English language.
Candidates must first be screened at the Bureau Local Chief of Police, located at the Sun color building, before qualifying to take the naturalization test.
