Australian Immigration Policy Example For Netherlands

[Harold F. Schiffman]

from Netherlands Info Services bv

Australian Immigration Policy Example For Netherlands

MELBOURNE, 04/04/06 - The Netherlands can learn from the Australian
immigration policy, Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said yesterday. He
is in Australia for five days to celebrate 400 years of Dutch-Australian
relations.

Australia has an extremely strict immigration policy, in which economic
benefit, knowledge of the English language and health play a major role.
The Dutch policy should also head in this direction. "Participation in the
labour market in particular is a point we should emphasise more for
younger generations of immigrants," Balkenende observed after a visit to
the Immigration Museum in Melbourne.

The Prime Minister described the current Dutch policy as fair and not as
strict. "We have lived parallel lives in the Netherlands for too long." In
future, immigrants must "learn the lessons of the new country" before
leaving the old one. "They must first ask themselves what they can
contribute, what they can expect and what the requirements for success
are. And they must respect the law and speak the language."

Balkenende considered it too soon to say concretely which parts of the
immigration policy were suitable for the Netherlands. But talks with the
originally Chinese Mayor of Melbourne, John So, and others had given him
the impression that the strict Australian selection procedure bore fruit.
"There are so many different nationalities in Melbourne, who all get along
in a friendly manner. A land must be united in order to be varied."


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