Demographic profile of Syrians in the Netherlands

Abstract

In this demographic profile of Syrians in the Netherlands we provide an overview of their recent migration history and migrant characteristics. It is evidenced that the pre-2014 population of Syrian origin was relatively small and increased mainly due to an expanding second generation (children born in the Netherlands). After 2014, the settlement of almost 28,000 Syrian refugees in 2016 contributed most to the increase in the size of this population of migrant origin. Like in many other origin groups, we show for Syrians that men often arrived first, after which family reunification took place resulting in a young population structure. A year after arrival, most Syrians no longer live in reception centres but independently, with no concentration in urban areas. Integration into the labour force is shown to be a slow process; 30 months after being granted a residence permit a minority has a paid job.