THREE-YEAR REVIEW OF DUTCH INTEGRATION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 THE HAGUE 002611 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/UBI, S/CT, D/HS, INL JUSTICE FOR OIA - JFRIEDMAN DHS FOR OIA SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PINR PINS PGOV KISL NL SUBJECT: THREE-YEAR REVIEW OF DUTCH INTEGRATION REF: A. The Hague 2577 ¶B. The Hague 610 THE HAGUE 00002611 001.2 OF 003 ¶1. Summary. Three years after the Balkenende government instituted significant changes to Dutch immigration and integration policies, "there is still a long way to go" on the integration of ethnic minorities, according to the Justice Ministry's Annual Memorandum on Integration Policy. The Memorandum takes stock of the government's accomplishments between 2003 and 2006, and current challenges to promoting integration. Characterizing current government policies as having had a "positive effect," the report also proposes future actions to promote "more compulsory integration." Two themes dominate Dutch policy: Limiting "non-Western" immigration and aggressively promoting the assimilation of immigrants by having them adopt Dutch language and social norms. End Summary. Reforms Implemented -------------- ¶2. The Justice Ministry's Annual Memorandum on Integration Policy was initiated by outgoing Immigration and Integration Minister Rita Verdonk in 2003 to assess progress on integration and outline policy initiatives for the next year. The 2006 report was submitted to Parliament in September; it was translated and released in English in November. According to the report, the 2003 reforms seek to promote social cohesion and the adoption of a Dutch identity by immigrants. The policies were introduced in response to a "rapid deterioration in prevailing public opinion on integration" in the early 2000s. The centerpiece of the new policy was the promotion of Dutch language and culture training for immigrants to encourage them to integrate more effectively into Dutch society. Simultaneously, the Cabinet implemented stricter immigration policies based on its assessment that the extremely rapid growth in the ethnic minority population had exceeded society's capacity for integration. ¶3. Two additional measures passed in 2006 were designed to give teeth to these policies. The first, the controversial Civic Integration Abroad Act, mandated that prospective non- Western immigrants pass exams on Dutch culture and language prior to receiving visas to move to the Netherlands. The report notes that the new requirement, effective March 2006, 
was implemented "without any problems worthy of mention." Immigrants from the United States, Canada, EU member states, Australia, Japan and New Zealand are exempt from the requirement. The study materials accompanying the tests sparked controversy in the Dutch and international press for their emphasis on liberal Dutch social mores, which some suggested was intended to discourage prospective immigrants from Muslim countries from emigrating (ref B). The second measure, the Newcomers Integration Act, will take effect in January 2007 and will require immigrants who apply for Dutch nationality to pass similar language and culture exams. "Selective" Immigration, Segregated Neighborhoods -------------- -------------- ¶4. The number of non-Western immigrants arriving in the Netherlands has been cut nearly in half in the past five years, from 69,000 in 2001 to 36,000 in 2005. At the same time, the number of asylum seekers decreased almost 75 percent, from 43,000 in 2000 to 12,000 in 2005. The number of immigrant worker permits rose from 38,000 in 2003 to 46,000 in 2005, but most now go to citizens of EU states, not "non-Western" countries. The percentage of work permits granted to citizens of new EU member states doubled from 33 percent in 2003 to 64 percent in 2005. The report asserts that these trends indicate that new Dutch immigration laws, designed not to be "anti-immigration," but rather "selective" are working as intended. ¶5. The limited number of marriages between non-Western immigrants, particularly Turks and Moroccans, and native Dutch was identified as a particular hindrance to integration. According to the report, the vast majority of Dutch-born children of Western, Aruban and Antillean immigrants marry someone of native Dutch heritage, but no more than 10 percent of Dutch-born children of Turkish or Moroccan descent do so. The government estimates that 50 to 60 percent of Dutch-born children of Turkish or Moroccan parents marry a partner from their parents' country of origin. Some of the 2003 reforms were aimed at decreasing THE HAGUE 00002611 002.2 OF 003 the number of "marriage migrants" by imposing income requirements on individuals seeking to bring a spouse to the Netherlands and imposing conditions on the prospective spouse. The number of Turkish and Moroccan marriage migrants dropped by half between 2003 and 2005. ¶6. The report notes continuing government concern about the fact that existing populations of Muslim immigrants in the Netherlands have concentrated in increasingly segregated neighborhoods. Partly due to low rates of inter-marriage, but also due to limited employment options, the expected dispersion of immigrant communities into "native" Dutch neighborhoods has not yet happened. Skewed Unemployment, Education Improving -------------- ¶7. While overall unemployment increased in the early 2000s, it grew disproportionately among the immigrant population. Youth (aged 15-24) unemployment of native Dutch peaked at 11.7 percent in 2005, but the rate was more than double that for non-Western immigrant youth, 25 percent. Rates for all ages are even more disparate, with 2005 unemployment of non- Western immigrants more than three times that of native Dutch (16.4 percent compared to 5.2 percent). The report acknowledges that even taking age and education differences into account, people of foreign heritage are more likely to be unemployed than native Dutch. This is particularly true of second generation ethnic Moroccans and first generation Antilleans. Among the factors cited for this are Dutch language skills, labor market awareness, availability of relevant social networks, and the preference among employer organizations for native Dutch workers. The report notes that entrepreneurship among non-Western immigrant groups is growing rapidly, increasing by 181 percent between 1994 and 2004, especially among ethnic Turks and Surinamese. ¶8. The report notes that children of non-Western immigrants are attaining increasingly higher levels of education. They also are dropping out of school less frequently and their representation in higher education institutions is increasing. The report estimates that by 2010, almost 10 percent of those with foreign heritage will attend institutions of higher education. The proportion of 15 to 64 year-olds of non-Western heritage who have completed secondary or higher education (considered to be the basic qualification for participating in the labor force) rose from 39 percent in 2001 to 53 percent in 2005. The proportion of native Dutch 15 to 64 year-olds with the basic qualification was 67 percent in 2005. Disparities continue, however. During the 2001-2004 period, 28 percent of the children of immigrants left school prematurely, compared to 21 percent of the total population; non-Western minorities are at the highest risk of dropping out. ¶9. The report proposes further action in education, employment, sports and culture to further expand the social inclusion of immigrants. The government will also focus on immigrant women and support initiatives that promote interaction between immigrant and native Dutch populations and programs that combat discrimination. The government may also seek to address the controversial issues of imam training and visas in the upcoming year. COMMENT -------------- ¶10. The efforts of the Balkenende government to limit "non- Western" immigration have clearly been successful, but it remains to be seen if its efforts to promote integration have had a significant impact. The continued disparities between "native" Dutch and "non-Western" Dutch in employment, education, and housing highlight the need for further progress. The report, written in a very positive tone, provides the government's take on its own success. The admission that there is still "a long way to go" demonstrates just how challenging integration is proving to be, even in a country historically known for tolerance and openness. Immigration and Integration Minister Rita Verdonk, whose approach to integration is reflected throughout the report, is unlikely to return to the next Cabinet, as her Liberal Party (VVD),which did poorly in the November elections, is not expected to form part of the next governing coalition. The VVD has also replaced her as party spokesperson on Immigration and Integration issues. THE HAGUE 00002611 003.2 OF 003 Blakeman