Immigrants hit hardest by crisis

Non-western migrants, especially young ones, seem to have been hit the hardest by the crisis, and are often victims of discrimination in their hunt for work. The situation is the worst for Moroccan Dutch and refugees. Unemployment is almost three times as high among immigrants as it is among native Dutch, 16 against 5 percent. Young immigrants especially, have had a hard time, 28 against 10 percent. The Social and Cultural Plan Bureau (SCP) released their Year Report for Integration 2013, which went to minister Lodewijk Asscher (Social Affairs) on Monday. The report states that migrants are victims of discrimination, as they are more often unemployed than native Dutch with the same qualifications. The report was written at the request of Asscher's ministry. The figures are already public because the PVV consciously broke the embargo on the work. The PVV thinks that the SCP should also have included criminality figures. The SCP report is about unemployment and poor labour market positions of non-western migrants. According to the report, migrants and especially young migrants, are hit hard by the economic crisis. Non-western migrants, or allochtonen, have a much harder time breaking into the job market than native Dutch, or authochtonen, job-seekers. The report states that these migrants often have to deal with prejudice. 18 months after completing mbo school, 19 percent of non-western migrant youths are still without work, against 5 percent of native Dutch. Of non-western migrants with an hbo diploma, 15 percent is jobless after 18 months. This is 6 percent among natives. Young people who leave school early, especially of Moroccan origin, are very often without work (59 percent). Non-western migrant youths who are employed, have flexible jobs in two thirds of all cases. Profession levels among migrants have risen since the millennium. Between 2001 and 2012, the number of migrants with high level professions rose from 19 to 24 percent. Migrants with a paid job also rose, but this development has been brought to a standstill. The report claims that the birth of the first child is a chief reason amongst Turkish and Moroccan women especially, to stop working. Non-western migrants are more often dependent on benefits than natives, 12 against 2 percent. Refugees are amongst the highest percentile in this phenomenon. The income position of non-western migrants remains far behind. Generally, their household incomes lies within €18,000 a year. This is €25,000 a year amongst native Dutch households. Adult non-western migrants live in poverty in one out of seven cases. With children, this is one out of four.