Gender, Immigration and Citizenship in the Netherlands

1
Gender, Immigration and Citizenship in the
Netherlands
2

• landmarks of political change in Nl
  assassination Pim Fortuyn (6 May 2002),
  assassination Theo van Gogh (2 Nov. 2004)
• Shift in policies Culture promoting emancipation
  minority groups to culture as an obstacle for
  integration.
• Shift in public debate from religious tolerance
  to blaming Islam for failing integration
• Comparable trends in Austria? What lessons can be
  drawn from Nl?
• Shift migrant women from margins to centre of
  politics
• Figure connecting shift towards assimilationism
  and focus on women Ayaan Hirsi Ali

3
Immigrants in Nl

• colonial immigrants Indonesia, Suriname, Dutch
  Antilles
• labour migrants Turkey, Morocco
• Refugees
• 20, non-Western immigrants 10
• settled in big cities, but no ghettos
• Majority Dutch nationality

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Integration policy, 3 phases

• Dominant problem analysis
• 1983 Minorities Policy preservation minority
  cultures facilitates integration. Pillarisation
  model of group emancipation. Coalition social
  democrats Christian democrats
• 1994 Integration Policy socio-economic
  integration, cultural integration follows
  automatically. Individual emancipation.
  Coalition social democrats liberals
• 2002 Minority cultures hamper integration,
  cultural assimilation first requirement.
  Neo-liberal approach. Coalition Christian
  democrats, liberals, democrats

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The evolution of Dutch policy frames on gender
and migration

• 1995-1998 Stressing the value of diversity
  Migrant women not important political subjects
• 1998-2002 Diversity becomes problematic
• Migrant women become political subjects as
  vulnerable migrants and lacking in social
  participation
• 2002-2005 A neoliberal approach to migration
• Accent on individual responsibility. Problem
  culture. Migrant women responsible for
  emancipation of the group If you educate a
  women, you educate a family

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The public debate on immigration and integration

• Liberal Frits Bolkestein (1991)
• Social democrat Paul Scheffer (2000)
• LPF Pim Fortuyn (2001-2002)

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New political discourse new realism

• Listen to the ordinary people
• I dare to face the facts
• Break power political correct left and its
  multicultural toleration
• Insistence on (re)affirmation national identity
• Gendered discourse you oppress your woman, I
  come as her savior.

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Ayaan Hirsi Ali

• Islam is in need of an Enlightenment. Do not
  abandon us. Allow us a Voltaire

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Conclusion

• In 5 years time Nl transformed from tolerant
  nation to nation calling for assimilation and
  neo-patriottism, on its way to an ethno-cultural
  notion of the nation development of a national
  Dutch canon, introduction civic education in
  school curriculum and mandatory integration
  courses for immigrants.

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Explanations

• A conservative reaction to the growing public
  presence and de-marginalisation of migrants
  Dutch identity is under threat
• Strong accent in debate on civil values and
  liberties, on value conflict as main problem gt
  value gap between majority population and
  migrants in Nl is greater than elsewhere gt more
  value conflict gt majority population intolerant
  of value diversity problem not over the top
  multiculturalism, but increasing Dutch
  monocultural progressiveness

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Evaluation impact Ayaan Hirsi Ali

• Living conditions migrant women central issues of
  public debate
• Policies to combat sexist practices in minority
  groups, e.g. FGC, honour related violence
• But policies not as radical as AHA wanted
• Her critique on Islam alienated her from the
  women in whose name she claimed to speak

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Grande finale Ayaan Hirsi Ali

• May 16 2006 forced to give up seat in Parliament
• Dutch nationality nullified
• May 27 2006 she may keep her Dutch passport
• It leaks AHA was pressurized by minister to sign
  I take blame paper
• Night 28-29 June fall Cabinet
• Nov. 22 2006 elections progressive majority, new
  hope for the Lowlands.