Dutch Give up Multiculturalism-Truth! & Fiction!

Dutch Give up Multiculturalism-Truth! & Fiction!

Summary of eRumor:

Viral emails and blog posts allege that legislation in the Netherlands “abandons multiculturalism” and deters Muslim immigrants and Islamic traditions.
 

The Truth:

Dutch lawmakers have enacted a number of laws over the last decade to make its immigrant populations more “integrated,” but this eRumor gets some of the details wrong.

Some of the eRumor’s claims are based on legislative developments from 2011 that didn’t come to fruition. The eRumor repeats an article from the Gatestone Institute International Policy Council from June 2011. The original article accurately reported on pending legislation, but the eRumor omitted information and changed dates to make it appear more current.

In one instance, the eRumor claims a law prohibiting face-covering Islamic burqas went into effect on Jan. 1, 2014. The original story cited a prohibition date of Jan. 1, 2013.

The point is moot, however, because the legislation was never approved. It got shelved in 2012 when the country’s centre-right coalition collapsed, according to a BBC report.

About 300 women out of the 16 million people who live in the country wear traditional Islamic dress. About 5 percent of the population identify themselves as Muslims, the BBC reports.

Still, it’s true that laws to “integrate” immigrant populations — and Muslims in particular — have been approved in the Netherlands over the last decade, according to Human Rights Watch.

“The policies were adopted during a period of heightened public concern about the impact that migrant communities have on social cohesion, with a particular criticism of the supposed lack of integration among Moroccan and Turkish migrant communities,” according to a report by Human Rights Watch.

Under the policies, immigrants have to pass an “integration test” and prove that they can financially support their families to receive citizenship, according to the report.

Posted 08/14/14

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