Thwarted Exodus: Post-War Overseas Migration from the Netherlands

Much has been written about Netherlands emigration since the Second World War. In the course of years opinions on the subject have been advanced by the Government, by political and religious groups, by employers' and workers' organizations and by represent atives of the sodal sdences. As times and drcumstances changed, certain of these opinions also changed. Befjer remarks in this connec tion : "Opinions as to whether or not it is a good thing to emigrate are divided and are strongly influenced by the good and bad trend of affairs in the political, sodal and economic fields, apart from subjective influences which contribute in considerable measure to the formation of such opinions. "l Thanks to a number of sdentific studies, actual knowledge of the emigration phenomenon in the Netherlands soon after the war gradually increased. But in various quarters stereotyped conceptions, rooted in the prevailing cultural systems, had taken hold round this process. Hence it could not be expected to move aside immediately to make room for the cautiously fotmulated discoveries of sodal research. Among the great merits 2 of Haveman is the fact that not only did he inspire and stimulate this research, he also lost no time in making full use of the results 3 thereof during his period of office.