Renowned physicist Andre Geim has found himself in a unique predicament as the Netherlands government has confirmed the revocation of his Dutch citizenship due to the country's strict regulations on dual nationality. This surprise announcement arrives thirteen years after Geim opted for British citizenship in order to accept a coveted knighthood.
Geim has expressed his frustration, stating, “I am extremely annoyed,” over the unexpected decision. Until now, he believed that holding British citizenship would not present any issues regarding his Dutch nationality, which he adopted in the 1990s while conducting groundbreaking research at Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands.
The Nobel Prize-winning scientist, honored in 2010 alongside fellow researcher Konstantin Novoselov, stated in an email that he considers himself a Dutch-British Nobel Prize winner. He lamented, “The history and my time living and working in the Netherlands are very close to my heart,” describing the recent decision as both “sad and odd.”
Born in 1958 in Russia and raised in a family of German descent, Geim has made significant contributions to the field of physics, most notably through his work on graphene, recognized as the world’s thinnest and strongest material. Despite his illustrious achievements and personal connection to the Netherlands, he now faces the potential loss of his Dutch passport, which must be surrendered at the London embassy to avoid further complications, including potential consequences from Interpol.
