Netherlands revoked citizenship of Russian Nobel laureate

Nobel Prize winner in Physics Andrei Geim has been stripped of his Dutch citizenship.

As reported by BAKU.WS, The New York Times (NYT) writes about this with reference to the scientist's letter.

"Personally, I consider myself a Dutch-British Nobel Prize winner (in that exact order)," he wrote. "The history and time I spent in the Netherlands, working there, are very dear to my heart."

Geim told the NYT that he was informed that he is no longer a Dutch citizen and must surrender his passport at the Dutch embassy in London, "otherwise there will be consequences from Interpol." He called this decision "sad and strange."

The scientist was born in 1958 in Sochi, graduated from school in Nalchik with a gold medal and from MIPT with honors. In 1987, he became a candidate of physical and technical sciences, and in 1990 received a scholarship from the Royal Society of England and left the USSR. According to the NYT, during the same period, he became a Dutch citizen. Geim worked at universities in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Switzerland.

Geim is also a corresponding member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and a foreign member of the US National Academy of Sciences.

In 2010, Geim, along with another scientist Konstantin Novoselov, received the Nobel Prize for the creation of graphene (the thinnest and strongest material). It can be used to produce touch screens, light panels, and probably solar cells, the Nobel Committee noted.

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom knighted the physicists as Knights Bachelor for their scientific achievements. In order for Geim to also have the right to add "Sir" to his name, he had to obtain British citizenship. However, as the NYT notes, the Netherlands strictly limits dual citizenship - voluntarily obtaining it can lead to the loss of a Dutch passport, which is what happened in Geim's case.

"I did it to receive a knighthood in the UK and officially be called Sir Andre, which is prestigious in the United Kingdom," he said. "I did it only to receive a British knighthood."

Dual citizenship is common in the EU, at the same time Europeans can freely move from one country to another without the need to obtain a new legal status. The United Kingdom officially left the European Union in 2020.