South Asians in the Netherlands (Dutch: Zuid-Aziaten in Nederland), also referred to as South Asian Dutch (Zuid-Aziatische Nederlanders) or Dutch South Asians (Nederlandse Zuid-Aziaten), are citizens or residents of the Netherlands whose ancestry traces back to South Asia. They are a subcategory of Dutch Asians.
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| Surinamese - 180,000 (Indo-Surinamese only) Indian - 65,399 Afghan - 54,991 Pakistani - 27,261 Sri Lankan - 14,708 Bangladeshi - 3,504 Nepalese - 2,652 Bhutanese - 342 Maldivians - 39 All figures are the 2022 CBS population estimates for the Netherlands, exept the estimates of the Indo-Surinamese population.[1][2] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Languages | |
| Religion | |
| Majority: Significant Minority: Other Minority: | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
The majority of the South Asian community in the Netherlands are Indo-Caribbean and migrated mainly from Suriname, a former Dutch colony in the Caribbean and South America. There is a smaller amount of South Asians, coming directly from South Asia, mainly from India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.[3]
History
editThe initial South Asian settlers in the Netherlands were Indian traders, small-scale entrepreneurs, and textile industry workers from Punjab who arrived in the 1940s and 1950s.[4]
However most people of South Asian descent in the Netherlands today are primarily of Indo-Surinamese descent, a socially-defined community locally known as Hindustanis. After the independence of Suriname in 1975, a lot of Indo-Surinamese people migrated to the Netherlands many of whom became Dutch residents and owned Dutch passports. A significant number of them settled in The Hague and other large Dutch cities.[4]
In 1980, there was a military coup in Suriname, which caused another wave of Indo-Surinamese migrants.[4]
In comparison to the Indo-Surinamese population the number of people who directly came from 'South Asia' is pretty small. The largest group of these where the Pakistanis, a third of whom have been born in the Netherlands. Followed by smaller groups of Indians, and even smaller groups of Sri Lankans.[5]
After arrival most of the Pakistani migrants primarily stay within the Pakistani community, having few social contacts outside the community and marrying at the most Surinamese Muslims.[5]
After the Pakistani community became more established, from the 50s to the 70s. More Indians started to migrate to the Netherlands. Some came to the Netherlands from Uganda after the asian expulsion, while others came looking for work like the Pakistanis.[5]
In the late 1980s Afghan refugees began migrating into the Netherlands, fleeing violence in their homeland. This continued up to 2002.[6] Due to the Sri Lankan civil war, there where also a lot of Sri Lankan Tamils migrating to the Netherlands mainly around 1984 and onwards til 1992 seeking asylum.[7]
See Also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Population; sex, age, generation and migration background, 1 January". Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek. 31 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ "Waarom wonen er veel Hindostanen in Nederland?". NPO Kennis (in Dutch). Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "Migration is reshaping our world today". South Asian Concern. 2023-04-05. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
- ^ a b c "The Netherlands: Home to the Second-Largest Indian Diaspora in Europe". Indiaspora. 2022-01-21. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ a b c "Netherlands". www.urmila.de. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "Dit is het Nederland van 44.000 Afghanen".
- ^ Watkins, Alexandra (2015-06-02). Problematic Identities in Women's Fiction of the Sri Lankan Diaspora. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-29927-6.