Country of origin
The background of persons born abroad is determined by their country of birth. For people born in the Netherlands, their origin is determined by their parents’ country of birth. In cases where both parents were born abroad, a person’s origin is determined by their mother’s country of birth. This is because the mother’s birth details are more likely to be known than those of the father. If the mother was born in the Netherlands or the mother’s country of birth is unknown, the father’s country of birth is taken into account.