Thousands set to miss 'inburgering' exam deadline

Thousands of people are set to miss the January 1 deadline for passing exams designed to assess how integrated they are into Dutch society, BNR radio reports. The government’s education agency Duo was given a target of ensuring over 10,000 people took integration classes and passed the test within three years. However, well over 6,000 of them still have to do so and it will be impossible for them all to take the test before the end of the year, experts say One reason for the delay is that people now have to pay for the courses and the exams themselves, although they can borrow money from Duo. VVD parliamentarian Sjoerd Potters called on social affairs minister Lodewijk Asscher to take action.