Joyce van de Bildt, a research assistant at the Moshe Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University presents her research on the Moroccan emigre community in the Netherlands

1. The Moroccan community in the
Netherlands:
Religion, integration and loyalty
by Joyce van de Bildt

2. Outline:
• History of Moroccan migration to the Netherlands
• Dutch immigration policy and integration strategies
• Relations with the home government
• Dual nationality and loyalty
• Islam in the Netherlands
Amount of Moroccans in the Netherlands on January 1, 2011:
355,883 (second largest immigrant group)

3. Brief history
• Labour migration to Europe
• After WWII: a need for
unschooled employees to work
in textile and mining industries
• Morocco stimulated emigration
for economic and political
reasons
• Recruitment was directed at the
inhabitants of the less-
developed Rif mountains and
Souss region
• Majority of emigrants was of
Berber background

4. Estimated amount of Dutch Moroccans that is of
Berber origin: 80%
• “Map of Morocco with the most important provinces of migrant origin”
Source: Herkomst en vestiging van de eerste generatie Marokkanen in Nederland
Tineke Fokkema, Carel Harmsen en Han Nicolaas, Bevolkingstrends, 3e kwartaal 2009, CBS

5. Dutch immigration policy
• Guest workers were to stay temporarily
• 1960s: Labour migration and chain migration
• 1973: Economic crisis and immigration stop
• 1970s: Migrants start to obtain permanent residence
• 1979: Ethnic Minorities Policy -- outline for integration
• 1980s: Family reunification
• 1990s and onwards: marriage migration and steady birthrate
among Moroccans
Year Number of Moroccans in the Netherlands
1982 93,000
1989 139,000
2011 355,883

6. Family reunification in the 70s and
80s
• “Share of women in Moroccan migration to the Netherlands”:
Uit: Herkomst en vestiging van de eerste generatie Marokkanen in Nederland
Tineke Fokkema, Carel Harmsen en Han Nicolaas, Bevolkingstrends, 3e kwartaal 2009, CBS

7. The inalienability of Moroccan citizenship

8. Moroccan government rhetoric
• Mr. Mohammed Ameur, Minister in charge of the Moroccan
Community Abroad:
Moroccans abroad are to considered a 17th province of
Morocco, and ties with them should be strengthened.
Moroccan culture should be preserved and promoted among
them, as well as the Arabic language
• Former Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs Fassi Fihri:
“The law does not allow nationality to be renounced except
following a ruling by a committee presided over by the prime
minister,” and
“according to specific criteria based on respect for ancestral
religious legitimacy and political and judicial legality”

9. • Non-Dutch nationality of Dutch nationals with dual
nationality, 1 January 2007 (CBS Statistics)

10. Dual passport = dual loyalty?
“It is possible to be loyal to several people or countries. Dual
nationality should not be a problem these days.
A passport, for that matter, is just a document”

11. Two sides of the Dutch-Moroccan community
• Relatively high criminality rates
• Socio-economic achievements lag behind
• Isolation from Dutch society:
• Neighbourhoods
• Schools
• Social networks
• The Islam debate

12. Moroccans and religion
• Almost 100% identify with Islam
• Relatively traditional
• Provides a positive identification
• Media from the Muslim world
• Moroccan government efforts
• Dutch system of verzuiling (pillarization) in the 20th century
• 1. Catholic
• 2. Protestant
• 3. Socialist
• 4. Liberal
• Depillarisation and secularization trends

13. Islam in the Netherlands
Opening first Islamic funeral in
Eid al-Adha in Rotterdam (1979) Amsterdam (1978)

14. Islam in the Netherlands
• The Essalam Mosque in Rotterdam, 2011

15. 1. Freedom of speech
10. Dutch norms and values
18. Secularization of Dutch society

16. The Moroccan community in the
Netherlands:
Religion, integration and loyalty
by Joyce van de Bildt