FORUM Factsheet

March 2011

Romanians in the Netherlands

The number of Romanians in the Netherlands has risen considerably since Romania entered the EU in 2007. The overall image of Romanians is negative, although the majority of Romanian immigrants live outside the spot light. Media reports focus on crime and disturbances. The public debate highlights possible disadvantages of immigration from new EU Member States. Some fear that Romanians (and Poles and Bulgarians) take over certain areas of the job market as cheap labour. Others are concerned about the concentration of Romanians in problem districts in large cities, or about the poor working conditions for Romanians. FORUM conducted in 2010 a study into these new immigrants. Two years ago, a similar study was carried out for Polish immigrants. This allows a comparison between Polish and Romanian immigrants to be made, for example regarding the likelihood they will continue residing in the Netherlands or will (r)emigrate.

Introduction Immigration of Romanians in the Netherlands is relatively new, certainly labour migration. Romania joined the European Union on 1 January 2007, but Romanians do not (yet) have completely free access to the Dutch labour market. This is in contrast to Polish immigrants, for whom the obligation of a work permit was abolished in May 2007. The overall image of Romanians in the Netherlands is not very positive, mostly influenced by reports of Roma (travellers) causing disturbances. The majority of Romanians live their lives outside of the spot light however: in a family with their Dutch partner, in the countryside working in the agricultural sector, in the major cities working in an office or studying at a university. Some Romanians are living for many years in the Netherlands, but the majority of Romanians are newcomers. Their immigration pattern reveals an upward trend in recent years. FORUM, Institute for Multicultural Affairs, carried out a study in 2010 into these new immigrants. The research was largely conducted through personal conversations with Romanians (field group) and an internet survey. This approach has resulted in a rich and diverse report about the actual number of Romanians in the Netherlands, their motives for migration, their position on the Dutch labour and housing market, their relationships, their contacts with native Dutch and countrymen, and their religious and cultural activities. The report also looks at problems that arise in the areas of exploitation, social conflict and crime.

Two years ago, FORUM conducted a similar study among Polish immigrants in the Netherlands. This makes a comparison between Poles and Romanians possible, such as the chance they will stay in the Netherlands.

Number of Romanian people in the Netherlands On 1 January 2010 over 14,000 Romanians were living in the Netherlands, according to official figures of Statistics Netherlands, three times as much as in 1996. The number of Polish immigrants living in the Netherlands is five times higher (77,000). Romania is an EU country, therefore Romanians do not need a visa in order to stay (for a maximum of 3 months) in the Netherlands. However, if Romanians want to work, they do need to apply for a work permit.
Registrered Romanians in the Netherlands (1996-2010)

15.000 12.500 10.000 7.500 5.000 2.500 0

1998

2006

2008

1996

2000

2002

2004

Taking into account what Romanians themselves report about registered citizens and seasonal fluctuations, the conservative estimate is between 23,000 and 30,000 Romanians live and work in the Netherlands. This means that there are between 9,000 and 16,000 unregistered Romanians temporary or not - in the Netherlands.

A new generation The increase of the number of Romanians in the Netherlands can largely be contributed to newcomers: three quarters of Romanians living in the Netherlands are first generation immigrants, born in Romania. At present Romanian workers with children mostly leave their children (and partner) behind in Romania. However, it should now be noted that this is likely to change. Age reg istered Romanians Either Romanian workers will come to the (1996-2010) Netherlands with their partner and children, or 4.000 they will start a relationship here, marry and 3.500 2010 have children. This depicts the profile of 3.000 Romanian immigrants, since the largest (and 2.500 strongest growing) group of Romanian 2.000 immigrants is aged between 25 and 35 years.
1996 The number of Romanian children living in the 1.000 Netherlands is growing strongly, this applies to 500 both first and second generation children. 0 According to official Dutch statistics, more than 0-9 20-29 40-49 60-69 2000 Romanian school aged children live in the years Netherlands. Although precise figures are not available, it is estimated that a few hundred Romanian children, especially Roma, do not attend school. 1.500

2010

80+ years

FORUM Institute for Multicultural Affairs - Factsheet Romanians in the Netherlands - March 2011

Italy and Spain most popular countries of destination Italy, Spain and to a lesser extent Portugal, were for years the most popular countries of destination for Romanian migrants. Reasons were the linguistic relationships, climate and job opportunities. The need for construction and care workers was the highest in Italy and Spain. This demand for foreign labour was the result of an ageing population. Italy has the highest proportion of 65+ people namely 35 % - compared to the working population, in the European Union. In Spain that share is around 25 %. The (informal) individual homecare, offers more opportunities for (unskilled) Romanian women and thus also for family migration. For both countries, Romanians do not need work permits anymore. The economic crisis has had a negative impact for job opportunities in Spain and Italy. As a result, Romanian migration to these countries, has stagnated. Still, around 2 million Romanians were living in Italy and Spain in 2008/2009.

Reasons for coming to the Netherlands Some of the older Romanians in the Netherlands fled their country at the time Ceausescu was in power. Some met a (Dutch) partner or simply did not want to live under a dictator. Before Romania joined the EU family migration (family forming/reunion) was the number one reason to come to the Netherlands, according to the Annual Integration Report 2010. Indeed the research respondents indicate that until 2000 Romanians relatively often came to the Netherlands to get married or to visit friends, and rarely to work or study. However, our survey also shows that this changed well before 2007, the year of Romanias accession to the EU. Since 2001, the trend is that more and more Romanians visit the Netherlands for the first time in search of work (or to start a study). Respondents name employment as the main reason for a first time visit to the Netherlands (51%) followed by study (12%), holiday (9%), to visit friends (8%), relationship/marriage (3%) and other reasons (such as seeking asylum, homosexuality).
Main reason first time in the Netherlands 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% until 2000 2001-2005 2006-2010 Holiday Other Work Study Friends/marriage

Many Romanians in the Netherlands are migrant workers. They often travel back to their home country, as some still have a house or family there. Many Romanians have already worked in other European countries. It seems that Romanians fit quite well into what is known as 'fluid migration': staying temporarily in a host country, then to move on or return to the country of origin.

FORUM Institute for Multicultural Affairs - Factsheet Romanians in the Netherlands - March 2011

Reasons for staying in the Netherlands There are Romanians in the Netherlands with a steady job, a family, who own a house and rarely go back to Romania. The question is whether Romanians will stay temporarily in the Netherlands, as the term 'fluid migration suggests. Romanians themselves estimate the chance that they will still be residing in the Netherlands in a years time, is on average 72%, over five years 50% and 38% for permanent residency. The command of the Dutch language has a predictive value for Romanians to stay in the Netherlands. The better they speak Dutch, the greater they estimate the chance they will remain in the Netherlands, for a year, five years and permanently. Self-perceived chances make it likely that a substantial part of the Romanians will remain for a long time in the Netherlands or will settle here permanently. Although many Romanian migrants miss their family and friends, it is also true that they like many aspects of Dutch society. Romanians appreciate their stay in the Netherlands. They are slightly more content than the Polish respondents two years ago. Romanians view the following aspects of The Netherlands, as the most pleasant: the social and economic climate, order and cleanliness, friendly and honest people, architecture and landscape, and infrastructure. The least pleasant things of the Netherlands are the weather, the Dutch mentality, the regulations and bureaucracy.

Language is a problem Many Romanian workers residing in The Netherlands, speak little or no Dutch. This is due to the few linguistic similarities between the Romanian and Dutch language and because Romanian workers lack the time to learn the language. There is also a financial threshold, as well as unawareness as to where to go to learn the language. Higher educated Romanians often use English in their (work) environment, so they have (little or) no need to learn Dutch. Due to the lack of knowledge of the Dutch language Romanians are often unaware of their rights and do not know the way to official authorities. Most employers communicate to their Romanian employees with the help of multilingual staff or with their hands and feet. On the long run this way of communication will not be beneficial for Romanian workers or the Dutch society.

Position on the labour market: Hard workers, low wages Dutch employers value their Romanian employees and seasonal workers for their morale. They work hard and are loyal. Welcoming Romanian workers on the Dutch labour market has certainly to do with the low wages Romanians are willing to accept. Romanians are often underpaid and have clandestine jobs. The Labour Inspectorate regularly reports abuse and exploitation of Romanian workers.

FORUM Institute for Multicultural Affairs - Factsheet Romanians in the Netherlands - March 2011

Net monthly income Romanians working 36-40 hrs

< 500 Euro 1% > 2000 Euro 31% 1000-1500 Euro 35% 1500-2000 Euro 21% 500-1000 Euro 12%

Will Romanians move to better, higher paid jobs in the (near) future, being on the whole higher educated than the dominant image suggests? This is hard to predict, but first and foremost, it will demand a better knowledge of the Dutch language. If Romanians do not rise on the labour market, more unemployment and demands for social support are to be expected. At present Romanian migrants do not take the jobs of the Dutch, mainly because Romanians do the (unskilled) work that the Dutch will (or can) not do. Annually there are 100,000 temporary jobs in the agricultural sector, 2,000 of these positions are filled by Romanians.

3.500 3.000 2.500 2.000 1.500 1.000 500 0

Work permits Romanians (2001-2009)

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

Church is not a binding factor, sense of community is low The vast majority of Romanians is Orthodox. Faith and attending church are on the whole much less important for Romanians than for Poles. There are two Romanian Orthodox churches in the Netherlands, in Schiedam and in Eindhoven. Besides these two churches, there are no specific locations in the Netherlands where Romanians meet. Certain groups of Romanians, including students, sometimes do things together and sometimes the Romanian Embassy organizes an evening of special events. Romanians in the Netherlands seem to have little need to meet compatriots. The Romanians in the Netherlands who meet each other knew each other already in Romania or were via-via introduced. No contact is made with unknown countrymen, out of mistrust and suspicion. When a Romanian in the Netherlands is in trouble, help from other Romanians is not guaranteed. Sometimes the church offers help, but more often employers reach out and give a hand. For example, they take their Romanian employees to the doctor or take them for a day out.

FORUM Institute for Multicultural Affairs - Factsheet Romanians in the Netherlands - March 2011

2009

Problems with housing Romanians live across the country, but in some rural regions (such as Brabant) there are considerable concentrations of Romanian migrants, working in the agricultural sector. They can stand out as a group, although it is not exceptional that Romanians live and work alongside other Central and Eastern Europeans In the large cities Romanians blend into the large migrant population. The Hague and Rotterdam monitor since 2009 the Central and Eastern Europeans living in their city. Although their reports speak of neighbourhoods with concentrations of Romanians, per neighbourhood the numbers are not that high. For instance, at the end of 2009 nearly 400 Romanians were registered in The Hague, spread over 80 different neighbourhoods. It is known however that some city districts (such as The Hague districts Transvaal, Laakkwartier and Spoorwijk, and Tarwewijk in Rotterdam) accommodate many unregistered Romanians. Overcrowded living accommodations creates nuisances in the neighbourhood. (Migrant) Concentration neighbourhoods are a potential source of (ethnic) tensions as well. Remarkably, often Romanians say that they dislike Muslims (the Islamization of Dutch society), especially Moroccans. However, they complain just as much about increasing nationalism and a negative attitude towards Romanians among the Dutch. Romanians form a small, but growing part of all homeless people in the Netherlands. There are those who plea for assisting these homeless Romanians to return to their country of origin, but at the same time there is also concern who will pay for this. Would that not just attract new Romanian adventurers to the Netherlands?

Crime for the most part not related to labour migration The number of Romanian suspects in the Dutch police statistics nearly doubled between 2007 and 2009, mainly because of a sharp increase of crime against property. A large and growing majority of Romanians who come into contact with the Dutch police do not live (officially) in the Netherlands. Those involved in serious forms of crime are mostly Romanians travelling through Europe, often professional criminals organised in groups. This can be considered as a negative side effect of open EU borders. Bankcard fraud by so called skimmers is by far the most committed crime in the Netherlands by ethnic (i.e. non-Roma) Romanian criminals. The Public Prosecutor estimates that 60 % of skimming is done by Romanian professional criminal gangs. The annual loss for banks is significant. According to the Dutch Association of Banks (NVB) in 2009 cash withdrawals with false bank cards reached EUR 36 million, 16 % more than in 2008. Furthermore, in recent years the number of Romanian - and more broadly: Eastern European - women in Dutch prostitution has grown. Many of these Romanian women come to the Netherlands through mediators or organized groups. On the other hand the number of Romanian boys and young adults in prostitution (in streets and bars) has decreased since the nineties.

Romanian Roma: established citizens and newcomers Part of the Romanians in the Netherlands are Roma, but not all Roma in the Netherlands are of Romanian decent. The presence of Romanian Roma in the Netherlands, is not a new phenomena. In the late seventies, groups of Romanian Roma travelled across the Netherlands with their caravans. A general amnesty was declared in 1978 and these travellers were allowed to live in residential
FORUM Institute for Multicultural Affairs - Factsheet Romanians in the Netherlands - March 2011

neighbourhoods in a number of municipalities or to join Roma families who resided on caravan camps. The situation can vary considerably between municipalities, but overall the crime among the Roma of the general amnesty and their children is very high. School absenteeism and dropouts are common. In recent years, new groups of Romanian Roma migrated to the Netherlands. Some of them joined the already established Roma families. Family ties and chain migration plays a dominant role in the migration of Roma to the Netherlands. It is not unusual for Roma to live with a considerable number of family members. Street music and the sale of street newspapers (a newspaper reporting on and mostly sold by homeless people) are common sources of income for newcomers. These are often activities that they did not practice in Romania. Roma are a highly discriminated ethnic group in Romania. Often, they are marginalized and live in very poor conditions and without (regular) work on the fringe of Romanian society. They often act as a separate ethnic group, with their own culture, values and norms. There is a lot of poverty, crime, low education and school absenteeism. Social ostracism and deviation from the dominant Western culture are manifest among Roma migrants as well. In recent years we have seen this especially in Italy and France. Media shows the inhumane living conditions of Roma, but report as well about their - sometimes very violent criminal activities. The crackdown on Roma migrants by Berlusconi in Italy and Sarkozy in France, including deportation of Roma, meets approval as well as protest on the local, national and EU level. In the Netherlands local measures are taken against (problematic) Roma, although they are not formally targeted. For instance, the city of Maastricht announced a ban on begging in the summer of 2010 and the city of Utrecht almost simultaneously announced tougher action against (unlicensed) street musicians. At the end of 2010 Amsterdam also announced stricter checks on street musicians and they were not allowed to play for more than half an hour in the same place.

***
Korf, D. J., K. Wesselink and D. Perie (2011) Roemenen in Nederland. FORUM Institute for Multicultural Affairs, Utrecht and Guys & Godoy, Rotterdam Available in Dutch only, 17,50 (www.FORUM.nl)