ABSTRACT
Approximately 2.7 million people live in the Netherlands who could be considered ethnically not-Dutch, either by place of birth or that of at least one parent. The largest of these ethnic groups are the Surinamese, the Turks, the Moroccans, the Antilleans and the Moluccans. This chapter describes the position of these groups, based on data from the large-scale survey 'Social Position Ethnic Minorities'. It explains their socially disadvantaged position, using a general model derived from the results of labour market research among ethnic minorities in the Netherlands. Data from 1994 on the educational qualifications of the different ethnic groups reveals that, at best, eighty per cent of Moroccans progressed no further than the primary level of education. For Turks the figures were fifty and twenty five per cent. Higher immigration rates, more cultural distance, an on average lower socio-economic background, and more social exclusion prevent Turks and Moroccans from gaining equality within Dutch society.
