THE HAGUE, 26/11/08 - The Christian democratic (CDA) party's Scientific Institute wants a ban on weddings between nephews and nieces. Marriage partners must also be able to speak either Dutch or English if they want to come to the Netherlands from outside the EU, and must have a vocational education diploma, according to the CDA think-tank.

The think-tank makes a series of proposals in recommendations to the party to reduce the inflow of imported brides and bridegrooms. If all proposals were adopted, immigration from Turkey and Morocco would practically come to a standstill.

A substantial portion of marriages between Turks and between Moroccans are between nephews and nieces, which should be banned on grounds of public health concerns, says the think-tank. Additionally, marriage immigrants should only be allowed to come and live in the Netherlands if they have at minimum a vocational education diploma in their own country and can speak and write in Dutch or English.

Many immigrants from Turkey and Morocco are illiterates from mountain villages. Some marriage partners taking integration courses upon arrival in the Netherlands "need three to four months only to learn how to hold a pencil," said a spokeswoman for the think-tank.

The CDA think-tank also considers residence permits should only be granted after passing an integration exam and if immigrants can stand on their own feet financially. As well, the institute suggests banning the import of a new marriage partner from abroad by persons who previously had a marriage partner come over and have divorced.

Further, the so-called Belgian route must be closed. This is when non-EU partners are first stationed by the family for a few months in Belgium, where more lenient rules apply, and then easily cross into the Netherlands.

Finally, existing Dutch requirements must be more clearly anchored in the law, so that judges cannot torpedo them. Thus, a district court in Amsterdam ruled this summer that imported brides and bridegrooms are not required to pass a test on the Dutch language and culture in their country of origin. A district court in Roermond also recently ruled that Dutch nationals who want to have their foreign partner come to the Netherlands to form a family do not have to earn 120 percent of the minimum wage. The State has appeal cases underway against both verdicts.