In the 1970s and 1980s people migrated from the newly independent Suriname and from the Netherlands Antilles, which remained part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. These people migrated because these people still held a Dutch passport and saw a better future in the Netherlands.
In the 1990s the Netherlands saw increasing migration of asylum seekers. Most notably are Iraqis, Iranians, Thais, Burmese and Chileans fleeing from political oppression and/or persecution. In Holland, there is freedom of expression. This is why they fled to Holland.
After the independency declarations of Slovenia and Croatia in 1991, approximately 80.00 Yugoslavians go to Central Europe, where they mostly are staying with family that have left earlier, as guest worker. So, a part of these 80.000 leave to Holland. From the former Yugoslavians, nowadays about 17 percent is unemployed. About 50 percent doesn’t speak Dutch, or speaks it poorly. Yugoslavians also have a reputations as violent criminals.
After 1992, a lot of Bosnians flee the area because of the rising war violence. Holland volunteers, and agrees to take in 25.000 Bosnians.
In 1994, the German asylum policy got more strict, which causes the denied asylum seekers to go to the countries around Germany. Holland is one of these.
Later on, in 1998, there are fights in Kosovo, which is in Albania. Tens of thousands Albanians flight for this violence. Since Holland is quite peaceful and not very strict, this is the best option.
MIgration The Netherlands 1986-1995
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