Does it matter where in the Netherlands a newcomer integrates?: A comparative study on the municipalities of Rotterdam and Vleuten-De Meern regarding their integration policies and integration assessment of newcomers in the period 1983-2006

Integrating into the host society is an important aspect of migration. Yet this does not always go smoothly and there are several bumps to overcome. For instance, there may be cultural differences between the newcomer and the native society, which can lead to mutual misunderstanding. In addition, municipalities have an important and decisive role in the integration of a newcomer. They make and implement local or national integration policies and thus determine which requirements a newcomer has to meet. Based on the cases of the municipalities of Rotterdam and Vleuten-De Meern, this thesis examines to what extent local integration policies differ from each other and how this difference affects the integration process of newcomers. In other words, does it matter where in the Netherlands a newcomer integrates? The term local turn is important here: how does a local government implement national policy? This study on the integration policies of Rotterdam and Vleuten-De Meern found,...Show moreIntegrating into the host society is an important aspect of migration. Yet this does not always go smoothly and there are several bumps to overcome. For instance, there may be cultural differences between the newcomer and the native society, which can lead to mutual misunderstanding. In addition, municipalities have an important and decisive role in the integration of a newcomer. They make and implement local or national integration policies and thus determine which requirements a newcomer has to meet. Based on the cases of the municipalities of Rotterdam and Vleuten-De Meern, this thesis examines to what extent local integration policies differ from each other and how this difference affects the integration process of newcomers. In other words, does it matter where in the Netherlands a newcomer integrates? The term local turn is important here: how does a local government implement national policy? This study on the integration policies of Rotterdam and Vleuten-De Meern found, based on policy documents, that differences are indeed visible between local policies. Rotterdam has developed its own integration policy due to the size of the municipality and their focus on discrimination and crime. In addition, the tone of their integration policy can be described as negative, mainly caused by the interference of the right-wing party Leefbaar Rotterdam. Vleuten-De Meern, on the other hand, was less susceptible to political discussions, as it was - first unofficially and from 2001 officially - attached to the municipality of Utrecht and followed national integration policy. In addition, the municipality of Vleuten-De Meern was small compared to Rotterdam, making it easier to resolve conflicts internally. It can therefore be argued that integrating in a large, multicultural municipality poses different challenges than integrating in a small municipality.Show less

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Does it matter where in the Netherlands a newcomer integrates? A comparative study on the municipalities of Rotterdam and Vleuten-De Meern regarding their integration policies and integration assessment of newcomers in the period 1983-2006