A significant decline in the number of immigrants to the Netherlands
The Dutch Statistics Office (CBS) reported that the number of people who immigrated to the Netherlands in 2023 reached 316,000, a decrease of 19,000 compared to the previous year. This decline is primarily attributed to a 26% drop in the number of highly skilled migrants, which fell to only 16,000. The decrease was particularly evident among arrivals from India, and the number of arrivals from Russia, Turkey, South Africa, and China also declined.
This is the second consecutive decline after years of continuous increase from 2006 to 2022, the year that saw a large influx of refugees from Ukraine to the Netherlands. These shifts have prompted the statistics office to analyze the motivations for immigration to the country.
In 2023, work was the reason for migration for 21% of arrivals, 22% for family reasons, 12% for study, and 10% for asylum-related reasons. Among the 73,000 people who migrated for family reasons, more than 29,000 of them (about 40%) joined family members who came to the Netherlands for work. About 5,000 people followed relatives who obtained refugee status (about 7%), while less than 4,000 joined individuals studying in the country (about 5%).
According to CBS expert Tania Traak, immigration for family reasons includes several types of relationships, such as "people who came to the Netherlands for love after meeting a Dutch partner abroad."
Traag pointed out that these figures are based on 2023 data, which is the most recent and comprehensive. Those coming from outside the European Union are required to specify the reason for their migration when applying for a visa, while those arriving from EU countries and European Free Trade Association countries (Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland, and Switzerland) have a full year before disclosing their migration motives.