Dutch Integration and Immigration

In 2003, Rita Verdonk was appointed Minister for Integration and Immigration. She soon developed a reputation for toughness and outspokenness, with her uncompromising immigration policies earning her the nickname IJzeren Rita (Iron Rita). The football player Salomon Kalou, from the Ivory Coast, applied for Dutch citizenship in October 2004, in order to be able to play on the Dutch team in the 2006 World Championship Football. Verdonk rejected his application because Kalou was unable to pass the integration exam. Many felt that an exception should have been made for Kalou because he was a famous football player. Verdonk, however, held firm to the law, which brought her a lot of sympathy.