ABSTRACT
The history of migration control in the Netherlands shows interesting similarities and dissimilarities with other West European countries. Like other West European countries, with the notable exception of France, the Netherlands has not considered itself to be an immigration country and has only reluctantly accepted the reality of being one. Historians have repeatedly pointed out that immigration is not a new experience for the Netherlands. In theory the concept of citizenship is based either on the notion of common descent, an almost mythical property with deep historical roots (ius sanguinis) or on the notion of a territorial community. In the first line of reasoning the nation is a given historical entity and the state is the political expression of this entity. The relative open approach to citizenship and naturalization does not mean that citizenship is not important as an instrument for the regulation of migration.
