South Asians in the Netherlands
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| Surinamese - 200,000 (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 | |
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.
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] South Asians in the Netherlands retain their cultural and religious identities, with many establishing their own communities while also integrating into Dutch society.
History
[edit]The 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] In the 1970s, Pakistanis migrated followed by smaller groups of Indians and Sri Lankans, including those fleeing Uganda during the Asian expulsion. Early migrants primarily sought employment, often working in unskilled jobs.[5] Between the 1980s and 2002, Afghan refugees and Sri Lankan Tamils left violence in their native countries and immigrated to the Netherlands.[6][7]
However, most people of South Asian descent in the Netherlands as of 2022 are primarily of Indo-Surinamese descent, known locally as Hindustanis. After the independence of Suriname in 1975, many Indo-Surinamese people migrated to the Netherlands and became Dutch residents. A significant number of them settled in The Hague and other large Dutch cities. In 1980, there was a military coup in Suriname, which caused another wave of Indo-Surinamese migrants.[4]
See Also
[edit]- Afghans in the Netherlands
- Indians in the Netherlands
- Pakistanis in the Netherlands
- Nepalis in the Netherlands
- Dutch Tamils
- Surinamese people in the Netherlands
References
[edit]- ^ "Population; sex, age, generation and migration background, 1 January". Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek. 31 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ "Suriname Indians in the Netherlands – the Indian in Them Lives on".
- ^ "Migration is reshaping our world today". South Asian Concern. 2023-04-05. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
- ^ a b "The Netherlands: Home to the Second-Largest Indian Diaspora in Europe". Indiaspora. 2022-01-21. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "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.