THE HAGUE, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The Dutch government will abandon the model of a multicultural society.
In a letter to parliament on Thursday Minister Piet Hein Donner of Internal Affairs states that the Netherlands will start a new integration policy.
"The government shares the social discontent that exists on the multicultural society," read the letter published Friday. "In the new integration, the values of the Dutch society play a central role. With this change, the government steps away from the model of a multicultural society."
The new government wants more demands on immigrants. They should be responsible themselves for ensuring that they learn the Dutch language.
"A more obligatory integration is justified because the government also demands that from its own citizens," the letter continued.
"It is necessary because otherwise the society gradually grows apart and eventually no one feels at home anymore in the Netherlands. The integration will not be tailored to different groups."
The letter announced various measures, such as subsidies and measures for the integration of specific groups will be stopped and will be part of an overall integration policy.
Action will be taken against forced marriages and a burqa ban will be announced from Jan. 1, 2013.
The measures are no surprise since the new government of the liberal party VVV and the Christian Democrats CDA, supported by the anti-islam Party of Freedom PVV, already signaled of taking these steps.
The largest opposition party, the labor party PvdA, was't happy at all with the integration note.
"I fear that the government is making a historic mistake," said integration spokesman Martijn van Dam in Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant. "Actually, they say there are problems, but they will not help," he added.
"These sounds were also heard in the sixties and eighties. That did not go well. I'm afraid we have to say the same in about 10 years."
