ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the general policy framework regulating immigration to the Netherland. It presents some basic figures for the main groups and motives of migration. The chapter provides some information about the active participation of migrants in public life. It summarizes the main issues in public debates about migration and integration of migrants in Dutch society. Until the late 1970s the Netherlands was a reluctant country of immigration in which the idea of temporary migration was maintained. The ethnic minority policy aimed to promote the participation of immigrants in social and economic life, and to stimulate good inter-ethnic relations, with a focus on equal opportunity and the fight against discrimination. The policy regime for naturalization has also seen fundamental changes that reflect more assimilationist positions. The Dutch migrant population is characterized by a growing number of descendants of immigrants from former recruitment countries and post-colonial minorities.
