Half of migrant workers in rural Netherlands still in the country six years later

About half of the labor migrants who came to work in rural parts of the Netherlands are still living in the country six years later, a study by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) has revealed. The agency noted that their position improves the longer they stay in the country.

The PBL studied 61,500 labor migrants from the EU who came to the Netherlands between 2011 and 2017 and settled in rural areas. About 30,000 of them were still living in the country six years later, most of whom remained in the countryside. The rest had moved to more urban areas.

Since the expansion of the European Union, the number of labor migrants from EU countries has increased significantly, with about a quarter settling in rural areas. Most come from Central and Eastern Europe and often find work in agriculture, horticulture, or logistics.

The PBL emphasized that labor migrants are in a vulnerable position. Those living in the countryside often have lower incomes, and about half work through employment agencies. Nearly two in three share a house with others.

Their position improves the longer they stay, the researchers found. “The share of people with very low incomes declined. More of them found jobs outside the temporary work sector and were able to move from shared housing to the regular housing market, sometimes living with a partner and children,” according to the PBL.

The institute did note, however, that local policies in the municipalities where migrants settle are only partially aligned with this reality. “When looking for housing solutions, municipalities tend to focus on the needs of temporary migrants, while many people are actually settling here for the long term,” said PBL researcher Dorien Manting.

According to the PBL, rural municipalities dealing with migration flows are often small, located farther from essential services, and tend to have a more limited job market.

“It’s not the case that labor migrants from Central and Eastern Europe only live and work here for a short time,” she said. Manting believes policies should also take into account the needs of labor migrants who stay in the Netherlands longer.