Spicy entrance exam is not to everyone's taste
The Netherlands' new entrance exam for would-be immigrants includes watching a film that many would consider pure entertainment.
The 105-minute movie shows images of gay men kissing in a park and a topless woman on a crowded beach. The idea is to ensure that new residents will be tolerant enough to fit in with the liberal Dutch way of life.
The examination costs $420 to take. A preparation package that includes the film, a CD-ROM, and a picture album of famous Dutch people costs an additional $75. And whether or not they find the film offensive, applicants must buy a copy and watch it if they hope to pass the test.
The exam is just a part of new immigration policies that have reduced immigration in the Netherlands by at least a third since 2001. But not everyone approves of the new test.
Surprisingly, Dutch theologian Karel Steenbrink criticized the film as potentially offensive to Muslims, while Mohammed Sini, chairman of the national Muslim organization Islam and Citizenship, defended it, pointing out that homosexuality is "a reality."
Filmmaker Walter Goverde said that a censored version had been prepared, with no homosexual or nude material, because it is illegal to show such images in Iran and some other countries.
After watching the film, which is available in most languages, applicants must answer questions about such aspects of Dutch culture and geography as the number of provinces that make up the Netherlands, the historical role of William of Orange, and the monarchal functions of Queen Beatrix.
Several groups, however, are exempt from the new process. European Union nationals, asylum-seekers, and skilled workers who earn more than $54,000 per year will not be required to take the 30-minute computerized exam.
Citizens of the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, and Switzerland are exempt, as well.
But surely they can still watch the movie if they want to?