Les Antillais aux Pays-Bas : perspectives de retour

In: Revue européenne des migrations internationales: REMI, Volume 3, Issue 3, p. 117-127

Abstract

West Indians in the Netherlands : prospects of return
Willem KOOT
This paper aims at assessing whether the return migration policy of the Netherlands is likely to be successful or not, in view of the socio-economic and cultural characteristics of the West Indian migrants, whether they are living in the Netherlands or have returned to their home countries.
First, the context of the out-migration is described, especially the push factors which prevailed in the 1970s and 1980s; the returns remained numerous throughout these decades. The sample survey conducted by the author, and the data collected by earlier researchers show that if the desire to return is generally high, it is positively correlated with age and the level of education. Social welfare in the Netherlands is also important. Those who have actually returned belong to the higher social strata of the migrant group; having a job in the West Indies matters much more to them than housing conditions. Psychological factors also interfere. In view of these data, it is concluded that the Netherlands should increase their financial contribution to the System of social welfare in the West Indies and even more so to the economic development of these islands.