Knighthood Costs Sir Andre Geim

A Knighthood, a Passport, and a Paradox: The Case of Sir Andre Geim

A decision made well over a decade ago has resulted in a Nobel laureate in physics having his Dutch nationality rescinded. Sir Andre Geim, celebrated for his revolutionary work on graphene, only recently learned that his acceptance of a knighthood from Britain in 2012 automatically nullified his passport from the Netherlands. For many years, the world knew him as a Dutch-British physicist, a title he personally embraced. Now, while the professional honours remain, the government in the Netherlands has officially severed his national connection, a development the scientist finds profoundly vexing.

The problem originates from the Netherlands' stringent regulations regarding dual nationality. Sir Andre's path to becoming a British national was a direct result of the knighthood offer. While non-Britons can receive honorary knighthoods, the coveted title 'Sir' is reserved for full citizens. To be formally addressed as 'Sir Andre', he pursued and obtained UK citizenship, an act he now states was for this reason alone. He was unaware at that point about the significant repercussions for his Dutch status.

Officials from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs advised him not long ago that he must surrender his passport at the London embassy. The communication reportedly carried a warning of possible repercussions involving Interpol if he did not comply. Despite disbursing thousands on legal fees to appeal the judgment, his attempts have failed. The scientist stated that had he understood the outcome, he probably would have turned down the British honour.

A Journey Through Borders and Physics

Sir Andre Geim's history is one of international movement and scientific curiosity. His origins trace back to Sochi, Russia, where he was born in 1958 to a family with German ancestry. He has recounted experiencing prejudice within his schooling due to his German heritage. After an initial challenge to gain university admission, he was accepted into the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, earning his master's degree equivalent in 1982. He went on to complete his doctorate in metal physics in 1987.

In 1990, a scholarship from England's Royal Society allowed him to depart the Soviet Union. This initiated a period of postdoctoral research that led him to universities in Nottingham, Bath, and Copenhagen. His career advanced significantly in 1994 when he took a position as associate professor. This was at the Nijmegen-based Radboud University inside the Netherlands. While working in Nijmegen, he became a Dutch national and performed research that would establish the foundation for later breakthroughs.

The Playful Path to a Nobel Prize

The discovery that would win him a Nobel accolade emerged from a spirit of whimsical experimentation. After relocating in 2001 to the University of Manchester, Sir Andre, alongside his collaborator Konstantin Novoselov, upheld a tradition of 'Friday night experiments'. These sessions were for exploring concepts apart from their primary research. In one such meeting, they employed simple adhesive tape to peel slender layers from a graphite block.

They observed that some flakes were incredibly thin. By repeatedly splitting the graphite pieces with the tape, they eventually produced flakes that were only one atom thick. This marked the initial successful isolation of graphene, a two-dimensional substance with a carbon atom honeycomb lattice. This seemingly basic technique, born of curiosity, had solved a problem that scientists once thought was impossible due to the supposed instability of single-layer carbon sheets. Their discoveries appeared inside the journal Science during 2004.

Image Credit - Dutch Review

Graphene: The Wonder Material

The isolation of graphene represented a monumental achievement in the world of physics. Theorised as early as 1947 by P. R. Wallace, scientists had long grasped its theoretical existence but did not have a way to make it. The work by Sir Andre and Prof Novoselov gave the world the first real samples to study. Graphene's characteristics turned out to be extraordinary. It is the most slender material known, yet it is also among the strongest and hardest—reportedly over 100 times more resilient than steel.

Furthermore, graphene is an outstanding electrical conductor, superior even to copper, and is almost totally transparent. These qualities unlocked a huge potential for applications. Researchers envision its use for creating next-generation computer chips, very efficient solar cells, and pliable touch screens. The revolutionary nature of their experiments resulted in Sir Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov sharing the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2010.

From Levitating Frogs to National Honours

Sir Andre Geim possesses the singular honour of being the sole individual awarded a Nobel Prize and also an Ig Nobel Prize. The latter is a comedic award for scientific work that "first make people laugh, and then make them think," which was presented to him and Sir Michael Berry in 2000. Their successful experiment used powerful magnets to levitate a living frog.

The experiment showed the principle of diamagnetism, a faint magnetic response found in all matter, such as water and organic molecules. By putting a frog in a powerful magnetic field, they could oppose the force of gravity, making the amphibian float. This whimsical yet insightful research demonstrated a creative scientific approach that defined much of his career. Following his Nobel victory, officials in the Netherlands celebrated his achievement and bestowed a knighthood upon him, also displaying his bronze bust in The Hague.

The Knighthood and the Citizenship Clause

The chain of events leading to the current difficulty started when a knighthood from Britain was offered. The United Kingdom gives notable non-nationals "honorary knighthoods," which allow the use of post-nominal letters (such as KBE) but not the 'Sir' or 'Dame' title. To acquire the right to the title, a person needs to hold UK citizenship or be from a Commonwealth realm.

Sir Andre sought and received British nationality in 2012 for the specific purpose of accepting this full honour. His willing acquisition of a different nationality inadvertently activated a strict clause in the law of the Netherlands. The Dutch Nationality Act specifies that an adult national who voluntarily accepts another country's nationality will generally forfeit their Dutch status immediately. This regulation is a key part of the government's policy that aims to restrict dual nationality in most cases.

The Dutch Stance on Dual Nationality

Among nations in the EU, the Netherlands has one of the more stringent approaches to dual citizenship. The policy, originating from a 19th-century law, is founded on the idea that having one nationality clarifies a person's rights and duties, like military service. When an individual seeks to become a Dutch national via naturalisation, they are usually asked to renounce their old nationality.

The automatic forfeiture rule also works in reverse. There are, however, certain exceptions. A national of the Netherlands does not forfeit their status if their spouse is a national of that other country, or if they were born in that country and live there when they acquire the new status. Another exemption exists if an individual resided in the new country for a minimum of five continuous years before age 18. Sir Andre Geim's circumstances did not meet any of these usual exemptions.

A Plea for Special Consideration

In his effort to hold onto his Dutch status, Sir Andre's legal counsel argued for an exception based on "special circumstances." They referenced a specific part of the Netherlands' law that permits an exemption if keeping Dutch nationality is considered beneficial to the Dutch state's interests. The argument posits that having a Nobel laureate as a national, someone celebrated by the Netherlands itself, would certainly qualify as a benefit to the state.

However, appeals to the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been unsuccessful. The officials have stayed resolute in their reading of the law. This rigid application of bureaucracy has left the physicist feeling discarded "like a useless object," irrespective of his scientific work and previous accolades from the Netherlands. Those honours included a knighthood and a membership with the Dutch Royal Academy for Arts and Sciences.

Image Credit - NY Times

A Wider Political Debate

Sir Andre's situation illuminates an ongoing and sharp debate inside the Netherlands. Lobby groups for Dutch nationals abroad, like the Stichting Nederlanders Buiten Nederland, have long advocated against what they describe as a "hopelessly outdated" law. They contend the rule unfairly disadvantages the roughly one million Dutch nationals residing abroad, with many in countries such as the US, Canada, and Australia, where getting local citizenship is often a practical requirement for employment or property ownership.

In recent times, political efforts have been made to update the Dutch Nationality Act. A draft law was proposed in late 2023 to allow dual citizenship more widely, getting rid of the immediate forfeiture of Dutch status when someone acquires a new nationality and dropping the demand for new nationals to give up their original one. This suggested reform, however, is yet to be debated and its approval is not guaranteed.

The Shadow of Brexit

The predicament is made more complex by Britain's exit from the EU. Before Brexit, the liberty of people to move within the EU meant the practical details of citizenship were less crucial for individuals residing and being employed across member nations. A national from the Netherlands employed in the UK had nearly all the same rights as a person with British nationality.

With the conclusion of free movement, UK nationals gave up their automatic privileges to reside and be employed in the EU, and the reverse is also true. This has made having dual UK-EU citizenship much more valuable for keeping rights on both sides of the Channel. For Sir Andre, who identifies powerfully as European, the cancellation of his Dutch passport is a real loss of this European identity, a status he cherished even without any expectation of practical gain. This situation developed before Brexit. He states that at that point, nobody had advised him about the possible ramifications.

Identity in a World of Rigid Borders

Sir Andre Geim frequently identifies primarily as European. In a piece he composed after getting his Nobel accolade, he detailed the prejudice his family encountered in Russia because of their German ancestry and how his career and existence improved after he came to the West. He finished by saying he thinks of himself as European and does not see a need for any more detailed classification.

His conflict with officials in the Netherlands highlights the friction between this feeling of a wide, continental identity and the inflexible character of national laws. His predicament is a prominent example of the bureaucratic hurdles that immigrants, even exceptionally distinguished ones, may encounter. This demonstrates how the intricacies of government administration can affect anyone, and how personal identity and national loyalty can conflict with legal systems that are frequently unclear and strict.

A Scientist's Frustration

The physicist continues to be "extremely annoyed" by the affair. For him, the Dutch passport represented much more than a document for travel; it was a token of his link to a nation where he resided, was employed, and created scientific history. He has stressed that his own history and the period spent within the Netherlands are things he holds dear. He considers the judgment to rescind his national status both unfortunate and peculiar.

His public statement of this aggravation illuminates the emotional and personal consequences of these kinds of bureaucratic judgments. The forfeiture is not just a legal detail but a cutting of a tie that the scientist evidently prized. His self-identification as a "Dutch-British Nobel recipient (in that sequence)" strongly shows the importance he assigned to his link with the Netherlands.

The Future of Dutch Nationality

The resolution of Sir Andre Geim's predicament could depend on the existence of political motivation to step in or to rethink how the law is applied. The current dialogue about updating the Dutch Nationality Act indicates a desire for reform among certain political parties. Advocates for change contend that in a world that is more and more globalised, severe bans on dual nationality are out of date and detrimental.

They note that such regulations can discourage skilled immigrants from naturalising and cause undue difficulty for nationals abroad. Opponents, however, insist that the concept of single nationality is vital for legal clarity and national devotion. Sir Andre's situation is a powerful case study in this dispute, prompting questions about whether the law is truly serving the country's best interests when it leads to the casting off of one of its most renowned scientific personalities.