Almost half of the migrants who come to the Netherlands leave the country after ten years

According to Statistics Netherlands, 2018 immigrants arrived in the country in 191. The vast majority (000) came from EU member states or other European countries: Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland. The Statistics Office has published a study of the motives that drive people to travel to the Netherlands.

It is striking that almost 40 percent of migrants left the country within ten years. Statistics Netherlands looked at immigration data for 2009 to find out where the people who came to the Netherlands went. Many asylum seekers have returned to their home country or moved to another country. In 2009, the largest number of asylum applications came from Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, the countries of the former Soviet Union and Iran. The same picture is observed among migrant workers from outside Europe. Just over three quarters of those who came to the Netherlands in 3 left over the next ten years. However, over the past twenty years, the number of non-European labor and student migrants from outside Europe has gradually increased.

Family reunification

The main reason for the 81 immigrants from outside the EU or the European Free Trade Area was family reunification or education. This applies to one third of migrants from outside Europe in 000. The top five countries from which new family members are arriving include Turkey, Morocco, Suriname, the United States and the Philippines.

Just over 20 percent of non-Europeans came to the Netherlands to work. Another 20 percent came to study, and the smallest group (16 percent) were migrants seeking asylum.

EU enlargement

In addition to wars, political decisions abroad also affect migration flows in the Netherlands. This is clearly seen in the example of workers from Eastern European countries.

Thanks to the enlargement of the EU, the flow of labor migrants from Poland, Romania and Bulgaria to the Netherlands has significantly increased. European law gives them the right to work in the Netherlands without a work permit.

Disappointment policy

Various political and administrative measures in the Netherlands have also influenced the size of immigration. Sometimes they think about how to encourage people to come to the Netherlands, other times to scare them away.

Asylum policies, in particular, are aimed at mild disappointment. A prime example of this is the Aliens Act, which was passed in 2001. It made the asylum procedure much more complicated. For example, depending on the situation in a country or region, the possibility of collective protection is significantly reduced. Also in 2004, income requirements for family reunification were increased. A person who wants to bring their partner to the country must earn at least 120 percent of the minimum wage. Currently, partners must also pass an integration exam before they can come. In addition, the age limit in which the creation of a family is allowed has been increased from 18 to 21 years.

At the same time, in 2004, a system was launched to attract highly qualified migrants to the country. The Cabinet of Ministers hoped to stimulate the knowledge economy in this way. The aim of the scheme is to simplify as much as possible the procedures for the admission of highly skilled migrant workers (highly skilled migrants) from outside Europe.