4 October 2006

AMSTERDAM — More than half of Dutch nationals who emigrate return to the Netherlands within eight years, the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) said on Thursday. 

However, the flow of emigrants out of the country remains as large as ever, the CBS said.
The CBS figures indicated that 20,200 Dutch emigrants returned to the Netherlands last year. That was 750 more than in 2004.

It is expected that the number of returning emigrants will be even higher this year.

From January until the end of July, there were 2,000 more returning emigrants compared with the same period last year.

A CBS spokesman said a reason for the rise in the number of returning emigrants is difficult to find.

"Many people know that at the time of their departure they are leaving temporarily. But that group was also there a couple of years ago," he said.

Another reason is that many emigrants regret leaving the country, although it is not known how many people this includes.

On a global basis, Dutch nationals who leave for the US, Australia and Scandinavia do so to settle there permanently.

If they do return to the Netherlands, that decision is often not a pre-planned decision.

[Copyright Expatica News 2006]

Subject: Dutch news