Iraqis in the Netherlands
| Total population | |
|---|---|
|
(55,000 - 60,000 0.3% of the Dutch population) |
|
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Amsterdam, Den Haag, Almelo, Arnhem, Enschede | |
| Languages | |
| Dutch, Iraqi Arabic, Kurdish, Turkmen, Neo-Aramaic (incl. Mandaic) | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Islam (61 percent) and Christianity (29 percent)(Syriac Christianity and Catholic). | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
|
Arabs, Armenians, Assyrians, Azeris, Iranians, Mizrahim, Turks, Some descendants Dutch |
(55,000 - 60,000
There are over 50,000 Iraqis in the Netherlands, including immigrants from Iraq and locally born people of Iraqi heritage, constiting 0.3% of the total population in the Netherlands. Some sources claim an estimation of 60,000 people of Iraqi descent living in the Netherlands. The Iraqi community in the Netherlands is the 4th largest and has the highest percentage of qualified and professional people and artistes who have integrated well and have become useful members of the Dutch society.
The first wave of immigrants was in 1992, the data confirm duo this phenomenon, which rose gradually to reach a peak in 1998. 19.5 per cent of the interviewees from study report came in that year. While 13.5 per cent in 1999. However, numbers have decreased in 2003 and 2004, which was 1 per cent, and in 1992, the proportion was 2 per cent.
The Iraqi community in the Netherlands has increased from 8,000 in 1995 to approximately 40,000 in 2002. Apart from this group, there is an unknown number of Iraqis illegally staying in the Netherlands.
The main motives of the Iraqi migration are political asylum seeking resulting previous conditions in Iraq regarding the nature of the former regime, and the circumstances of successive wars and the economic embargo which was imposed on Iraq.
A recent study report, shows that two-thirds of the Iraqi community in the Netherlands are young and well qualified to work in the various fields of life. However, many of which are unemployed despite being well educated. The level of integration of the Iraqi community with the Dutch people is noticeably low. It amounts to a quarter out of the standards of social integration. The level of mastery of the Dutch language and of the participation in the social and political activities is quite low. The commitment to the mother culture with its Islamic, Arab and Iraqi references is quite high. Judging by gender of the Iraqi population, it has been assessed that 60 per cent are males and females account for 40 per cent.
Most of the Iraqi community are younger age groups and qualify for the labor market, the age categories are between 26-35 and 36–45 years, they were 28 per cent for each category. This reflects the new age of the Iraqi community in the Netherlands, which also means that most members of this community are first generation.
With regard to the marital status, the largest proportion of whom are married is at 58 per cent, this figure represents 53 per cent males and 68 per cent females. Due to a lot of Iraqi women coming to the Netherlands because of family reunification, whether married already or later. The (non or never married) was accounted for 25 per cent.
There is a good proportion of inter-marriage between members of the Iraqi community in the Netherlands and Dutch or others. The proportion is 12.5 per cent with Dutch people, that was among 13 cases of Iraqi men with Dutch women and 4 cases of Iraqi women married from Dutch men. The rest is refers to some cases with foreigners. While the highest rate of marriage represents 81 per cent of the same country (Iraq).
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