Presentation at a EURA-NET meeting in Budapest 16 October 2015.

1. Task 2.2: Semi-structured interviews among
individual people
The Netherlands
Natasja Reslow

2. Faculty of Law/ Faculteit der Rechtsgeleerdheid
Sample
Category No. of
interviews
Country of origin/destination
Family 10 Iran, India, Philippines, China,
Taiwan/United States
Study 31 South Korea, China, Vietnam,
Indonesia, Turkey, Hong Kong, Saudi
Arabia, Thailand, Oman
Highly-skilled 17 Iran, India, Philippines, Indonesia,
China
Search year 7 China, Philippines, Indonesia
Researcher 10 Indonesia, India, China, Iran
Au pair 1 Philippines
Intern 1 China
Asylum 1 Palestine
Family of Dutch abroad 3 Thailand
Transnational migrant 1 Thailand
TOTAL 82

3. Faculty of Law/ Faculteit der Rechtsgeleerdheid
Migration processes
• ‘Temporary migration’: 17 migrants in
NL longer than length of current
residence permit
• Choice for NL: family/friends; quality
of Dutch universities; financial reasons
• 33 interviewees had lived abroad
before

4. Faculty of Law/ Faculteit der Rechtsgeleerdheid
Migration processes
• Contradictory answers on future
migration plans
• Positive view of emigration  migrants
unable to discuss experiences with
family/friends
• Negative impact on relationships with
family/friends, despite technology
• Dual impact on religion

5. Faculty of Law/ Faculteit der Rechtsgeleerdheid
Politico-legal aspects
• Entitlements/benefits in NL not
available to all migrants
• Near universal experience of
discrimination, prejudice or
stereotyping
• Most interviewees not politically
engaged

6. Faculty of Law/ Faculteit der Rechtsgeleerdheid
Socio-economic aspects
• Employment status:
– 33 full-time employed, 9 part-time employed, 36
unemployed
– 6/10 family migrants employed, 4/31 students
employed, 3/7 ‘search year’ permits employed
• Non-Dutch speakers struggle to find
work!
• Several interviewees were receiving
remittances

7. Faculty of Law/ Faculteit der Rechtsgeleerdheid
Socio-cultural aspects
• Reasons for not learning Dutch:
– Lack of time
– Good level of English spoken by Dutch
people
– Difficulty of Dutch language
– Dutch not widely spoken
– Foreseen short stay in the Netherlands
– Cost of the course

8. Faculty of Law/ Faculteit der Rechtsgeleerdheid
Socio-cultural aspects
• BUT not learning Dutch  difficult to
establish social relations with Dutch
people
• Communications technology: easy to
communicate across borders
• Visiting the country of origin 
“reverse culture shock”

9. Faculty of Law/ Faculteit der Rechtsgeleerdheid
Socio-cultural aspects
• Positive aspects of life in NL:
– Environment and air quality
– Public transportation
– Work-life balance
– Equality
– Freedom
– Quality of life
• Dissatisfaction with Dutch medical
culture

10. Faculty of Law/ Faculteit der Rechtsgeleerdheid
Conclusion
• Making migration to NL easier:
– Help spouses of highly-skilled migrants to find
work
– Make it cheaper/easier for businesses to keep an
employee hired on ‘search year’ permit
– Make it easier for Asian nationals to visit family
members in NL
– Encourage circular migration
– Expand 30% tax ruling

11. Faculty of Law/ Faculteit der Rechtsgeleerdheid
Conclusion
– Provide migrants with information on Dutch
migration regulations
– Ensure Asian students are familiar with Dutch
study system before arriving
– Organise/sponsor community events to bring
migrants and locals together