“You’re making our country bad”

Written by Tara Brown

I’ll always remember a day in class that was both sad and eye-opening. It happened when I was teaching a group of 12-year-olds at an international school in the Netherlands. We were talking about a play called Blood Brothers by Willy Russell, which tells the story of tough times in Liverpool, like high unemployment and unfair treatment of people based on their social class. It wasn’t just a story; it showed real problems that people faced back then. 

During our discussion, I asked the students to think about their own lives and what issues they could highlight in a performance. I wanted them to share what was happening in their world, especially for those who might not understand it. The class split into small groups to brainstorm, and when they shared their ideas, I was shocked. For the first time in my 16 years of teaching, they all agreed on one theme: Racism. 

I thought, “What do these 12-year-olds know about racism?” They seemed too young to have experienced it. So, I asked one student to explain. He told us about a time when he was playing outside with his friends, and a group of Dutch kids came over and yelled hurtful things, saying, “Go away, you’re making our country bad.” As he spoke, tears filled his eyes, and he asked me, “But how? How are we making the country bad?” That was a really important question.

We talked more about this and discussed how the hate from others is often based on misunderstandings. We reassured ourselves that the negative feelings some people have are more about them than about us. But I kept thinking about that question: “How are we making the country bad?” These kids, whose parents work in important jobs like business and technology, are actually helping the country. So why do some people think they’re a problem? Where are those kids getting their ideas from?

Perception vs Reality

Before jumping to conclusions about what those kids said, it’s important to look at how people in the Netherlands really feel about immigration. If many people believe that immigrants are making the country worse, we should check the facts to see if that’s true.

Public Perception

At a recent rally where some people were saying they wanted immigrants out of the Netherlands, one person claimed that immigrants were causing more crime and didn’t want Africans in the country. But here’s the truth: about 16.2% of people living in the Netherlands are immigrants, and less than 1.5% of them are from Sub-Saharan Africa. Most of these immigrants are skilled workers, so how can they be the problem? It seems like there are a lot of assumptions without enough facts.

While it’s true that some groups of immigrants have higher crime rates, the overall crime rate in the Netherlands has actually gone down. Most immigrants, including those from Turkey and Suriname (who make up the majority), are not involved in crime. Many Dutch people connect immigration to issues like housing shortages and pressure on public services, which has become a big topic in politics. Some political parties use these concerns to push their anti-immigration views, even though many new immigrants are helping the economy by filling important jobs and housing issues persisted,  before recent migration. 

The True Impact of International Communities in the Netherlands

International communities are changing the Netherlands in big ways. They are not just a small part of the country; they are essential for keeping the population balanced as the native population gets older. Migrants are crucial for the economy, filling jobs that need to be done, from high-tech positions to essential roles in agriculture and logistics. 

Looking at the labour market alone, the Netherlands has faced a very tight labor market, historically having more vacancies than unemployed people. The Netherlands identified the highest number of shortage occupations among participating EU countries in a 2023 report (194 shortage occupations). Shortages are present across a wide range, from high-skilled to essential roles:

• High-Skilled: Science and engineering professionals, ICT specialists, and technical engineers.

• Essential/Other: Building and related trades workers, and professionals in healthcare, education, and construction .

The country's reliance on immigration is affirmed by labor market experts, stating the Netherlands "cannot do without immigration" to fill the gaps, especially in sectors like tech, care services, market gardening, and distribution centers.

In every year since 2022, the death rate has exceeded the birth rate in the Netherlands with 20% of its population being aged 65 years old and older. Immigration is consequently the sole driver of growth, with population growth  solely attributable to net migration. The bottom line is that the country needs people from outside of the Netherlands for it to continue to develop. 

Reality therefore reveals that while immigration has had a positive effect on Dutch society, filling labour shortages,  encouraging the economy to grow etc.. it also puts pressure on things like housing and public services. Culturally, the mix of different backgrounds is exciting but can also lead to heated debates about how to integrate everyone while keeping cultural traditions. The truth is, the Netherlands is becoming more diverse and connected to the world, which is a good thing, even if it comes with challenges because the Netherlands need immigration. 

Conclusion

So, why do people’s opinions not match reality? Where do these misunderstandings come from, and why do they keep spreading? This misinformation can hurt the understanding between different cultures and affect the lives of both children and adults. Why are immigrants seen as a problem when, in reality, they are helping the country? It’s important to keep asking these questions and seek the truth.

A Call to Action

When we as humans, walking this earth for a moment, are ready to not let impressions of immigration perpetuated through the media or other groups, take over our abilities to be objective and seek facts. Until we are in a state where we value the human lives lost in the wars of Sudan and Congo as much as we feel for those enduring the wars in  Ukraine and Palestine, and promote awareness of these crisis’ equally, without prioritising some news and sidelining others into human consciousness.  Until we are ready to start encouraging a perception of humanity that prioritises rather than polarises the truth, only then will we all be able to move past these biases and truly build an inclusive society.  So the answer to the child's question; How are we making the country bad? You’re not kid, you’re making the country better. 

Work Cited

“Origin.” CBS, https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/visualisations/dashboard-population/origin. Accessed 30 October 2025.

Statistics Netherlands (CBS). "Origin." CBS Visualizations: Population Dashboard , January 1, 2024, [www.cbs.nl/en-gb/dossier/asylum-migration-and-integration/how-many-residents-of-the-netherlands-have-a-non-dutch-background-].

CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis. Immigration and the Dutch Economy . The Hague, 2021.

Migration Policy Institute. "Migration in the Netherlands: Rhetoric and Perceived Reality Challenge Dutch Tolerance." 2019.

Forecast: population of the Netherlands will reach 19 million in 2037." CBS News Release 15 Dec. 2023, 

"Population growth." CBS Population Dashboard , 2024, www.cbs.nl/en-gb/visualisations/dashboard-population/population-dynamics/population-growth.