Love hath no bounds

More than 20 thousand marriage migrants came from abroad to marry or live with someone already living in the Netherlands in 2001. Nearly 7 thousand of these 20 thousand came to join a native Dutch partner, about 11 thousand to join a first generation immigrant and 2.5 thousand to join a second generation foreigner.

Second generation Turks choose Turkish partner

Some two-thirds of marriage migrants come from non-western countries, for example Turkey and Morocco

Marriage immigration of non-Dutch by country of birth, 2001

Most Turks and Moroccans who marry a partner from their country of origin belong to the first generation. However, as the number of second generation foreigners of in the marrying age group is fast increasing, more and more marriage immigrants from Turkey and Morocco are arriving in the Netherlands. In 2001 1.2 thousand second generation Turks and Moroccans brought back a partner from their parents’ country. In 1995 this was fewer than 300.

Most Turks and Moroccans still marry a partner from their own country of origin. Seven out of ten second generation Turks choose a first generation Turkish partner. Two out of ten marry a second generation partner and only one in ten marry a Dutch native. The figures are similar for Moroccans.

EU immigrants often join Dutch partner

In 2001 eight hundred marriage migrants from EU and EFTA countries came to live with a native Dutch partner. About 450 came to join a first generation foreign partner, about a hundred to join a second generation foreign partner.

Marriage migrants by country of birth versus ethnic group of partner resident in the Netherlands, 2001

Polish and Russian brides

Polish and Russian brides mostly come to marry native Dutch men. Two-thirds of marriage migrants from the former Soviet Union and Poland come to marry or live with a native Dutch partner, most of these immigrants are women.

Han Nicolaas en Arno Sprangers