‘If someone understands my rejection, I’ve done my job well’

People who have been staying in the Netherlands for a long time and feel connected to our country can request Dutch nationality under certain conditions and officially become Dutch citizens. Josse works as a decision staff member at the Naturalisation Department, which processes these naturalisation requests.

Growing

When Josse started at the IND, she did not know exactly what naturalisation was, except that it means that you may become a Dutch citizen. ‘For the most part, I was curious. And I’m happy that I acted on this curiosity because I feel right at home in this organisation. I really like that I can now apply the theory in practice. And the IND is a large organisation, so I think I can grow a lot here. For example, I want to become a better lawyer and this is certainly something I can develop into here.’ 

Internship with the Dutch Council for Refugees (Vluchtelingenwerk Nederland)

Josse already knew the IND: ‘When studying Religious sciences, I did a traineeship with the Dutch Council for Refugees in Ter Apel. I was then introduced to asylum and asylum law. And I could catch a glimpse of the work of the IND. At that time, I was also doing a Master’s in notarial law and because of that, the Dutch Council for Refugees soon gave me tasks of a legal nature. I helped people prepare for their interviews and read their decisions and files. I liked it, but it was not legal enough for me.’

A lot of money or social relevance?

After obtaining her degree, Josse went and travelled for half a year. In this period, she thought a lot about the road she wanted to take. In black and white terms, she could choose a job in the private sector on the one hand, where earning profits is an important aspect of the business model. ‘On the other hand, I saw prospects for a job with social impact,’ she says. ‘After my journey it was clear to me that that was what I wanted to do. And then there was a vacancy for a naturalisation decision staff member. During my traineeship, the IND had already piqued my interest, so I seized this opportunity.’

Raising awareness 

Continuing to grow and develop are nice targets and Josse thinks there is plenty of scope for this with the IND. And work as a decision staff member is very gratifying. ‘I now learn a lot. Above all, the subject is very interesting. For many people, naturalisation is really the final goal. People have been on such a long journey and once they have a Dutch passport, they are finally at peace. For us, this passport is self-evident, so we do not really think about the doors this booklet opens and the freedom it provides. My work makes me aware of this.’

Strict legislative framework

‘I do have to reject most applications I receive,’ Josse continuous. ‘A nationalisation request is first submitted to the town hall, which carries out a first check. The town hall forwards the request to the IND. A processing staff member checks the application and whether everything is in order, and then the request is approved and forwarded to the King to be signed. An application only reaches me if something is not in order. In that case, the decision I make is almost always negative. This is because we assess against the Netherlands Nationality Act and this is a branch of law with a strict legal framework. The applicant either does or does not meet the requirements. However, this is changing. In our work too, courts have ruled that we must take individual circumstances more often into consideration.’ 

Explaining clearly

Despite this, Josse is often the bearer of bad news. Is this not difficult? She answers, ‘I really see myself as an implementer of policy. I do not make the policy myself. I try to preserve this distinction clearly because my personal or political preference does not always align with the policy. Of course there are times when I wonder where the boundaries are, why is it so black and white? But I do keep my distance and decide objectively. If I can explain my decision in such a way that the applicant understands the rejection, I’ve done well. In addition, we decide on the naturalisation requests within the applicable periods and I like being able to contribute to this. People know when to expect my reply and what they’re in for.’ 

Rejection is part of it

Almost all naturalisation requests are granted, but sometimes requests do not meet the requirements. ‘I think that it is important to be aware that rejections are also part of it,’ Josse continues. ‘This does not mean we do not care. I think the picture of the IND is often too negative. People here pour their heart and soul into their work and I hope this is being noticed more often.’