Stricter rules imposed for 'import brides'

The Netherlands wants to stem the influx of foreign brides and grooms. Candidates will have to be at least 18, and marriages between cousins, aunts and uncles will no longer be allowed.

Justice minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin described the new policy on Friday as "strict but fair". "We want to prevent girls being brought to the Netherlands under duress," he said.

After a years-long decline the number of import marriages went up 30 percent in the past year to 15,000. "Society is coming under further pressure," said integration minister Eberhard van der Laan.

Import brides is a term used for marriages between Dutch residents of foreign (mostly Turkish and Moroccan) origin and people from their respective countries. The import of partners is seen as an obstacle to the integration of ethnic minorities into Dutch society.

The new rules are meant for the protection both of Dutch society and the women themselves, said Van der Laan. Import brides often end up in a subservient and dependent position once in the Netherlands.

"Because of their lack of knowledge of the Dutch language, their low level of education and unfamiliarity with the [Dutch] institutions there is a risk that these women will not be able to adequately raise their children to be proper citizens," Van der Laan said. This in turn can lead to the children dropping out of school, causing nuisances, or in the worst case scenario, turning to crime, the minister said.