Denmark: Is Islam a problem for social cohesion?
A couple of weeks ago I posted an article about a poll conducted in Denmark for Jyllands-Posten. One of the questions was "to what degree do you see the presence of Islam in Denmark as a problem for social cohesion?", and according to Jyllands-Posten, 55% answered in the affirmative.
The problem? Jyllands-Posten decided to group those saying it was 'very much' or 'somewhat' a problem together (54.9%), and those saying it was 'slightly a problem' or 'not a problem at all' together (39.9%). It was impossible to see how many people think Islam is not a problem at all.
Showing posts with label Facts and Figures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Facts and Figures. Show all posts
EU: Survey of young Moroccans
EU: Survey of young Moroccans
The Moroccan city of Ifrane recently hosted the first forum for young Moroccans abroad, organized by the Council for the Moroccans Community Abroad (CCME)
One of the topic discussed was a survey conducted by the BVA agency among 2,610 Moroccans aged 18-34 from six different countries: the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Spain and Italy.
The survey is comprehensive, but was pretty much ignored by the media. The Dutch media, for example, did report about it, but only focused on the Moroccans in the Netherlands.
The Yabiladi site published the entire survey. I did not summarize it all. Instead I bring several of the Q&As below, especially those focusing on identity. Click on the images to enlarge the charts.
The Moroccan city of Ifrane recently hosted the first forum for young Moroccans abroad, organized by the Council for the Moroccans Community Abroad (CCME)
One of the topic discussed was a survey conducted by the BVA agency among 2,610 Moroccans aged 18-34 from six different countries: the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Spain and Italy.
The survey is comprehensive, but was pretty much ignored by the media. The Dutch media, for example, did report about it, but only focused on the Moroccans in the Netherlands.
The Yabiladi site published the entire survey. I did not summarize it all. Instead I bring several of the Q&As below, especially those focusing on identity. Click on the images to enlarge the charts.
CR: Ten Muslim weddings a year
CR: Ten Muslim weddings a year
Via Prague Monitor:
About ten couples have a Muslim wedding in the Czech Republic every year, Vladimir Sanka, director of the Islamic Centre in Prague, has told CTK, adding that most of the couples are foreigners but there are also Czechs who have adopted the Islamic faith.
For a Muslim marriage to be legal, the couple must have a civilian wedding first, Sanka said.
Via Prague Monitor:
About ten couples have a Muslim wedding in the Czech Republic every year, Vladimir Sanka, director of the Islamic Centre in Prague, has told CTK, adding that most of the couples are foreigners but there are also Czechs who have adopted the Islamic faith.
For a Muslim marriage to be legal, the couple must have a civilian wedding first, Sanka said.
Germany: Extensive report on immigrants
Germany: Extensive report on immigrants
People sometimes focus on Muslim demographics in Europe. However, as this report shows, Muslims make up just a quarter (25%) of immigrants in Germany. Why the focus then? One reason is that Muslims are a very large group (either a majority or plurality) among the non-Western immigrants.
Still, Muslims make up such a small minority, why do people feel so threatened? There are several reasons, but the fact that is usually ignored in this debate is that while Muslims might make up 4-6% of the Muslim population in Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland and Germany, immigrants make up 20% of the population in those countries, and a majority or near majority in the larger cities, and this certainly affects the way the 'locals' see their culture and identity.
---------------
How do migrants live in Germany? What jobs do they do? What sort of educational qualifications do they have? Are they active in sports clubs? And how long does it take them to find jobs? The report seeks to answer these questions by documenting the actual living conditions of Germany's immigrant population on over 600 pages -- from the cradle to pensioner's housing.
People sometimes focus on Muslim demographics in Europe. However, as this report shows, Muslims make up just a quarter (25%) of immigrants in Germany. Why the focus then? One reason is that Muslims are a very large group (either a majority or plurality) among the non-Western immigrants.
Still, Muslims make up such a small minority, why do people feel so threatened? There are several reasons, but the fact that is usually ignored in this debate is that while Muslims might make up 4-6% of the Muslim population in Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland and Germany, immigrants make up 20% of the population in those countries, and a majority or near majority in the larger cities, and this certainly affects the way the 'locals' see their culture and identity.
---------------
How do migrants live in Germany? What jobs do they do? What sort of educational qualifications do they have? Are they active in sports clubs? And how long does it take them to find jobs? The report seeks to answer these questions by documenting the actual living conditions of Germany's immigrant population on over 600 pages -- from the cradle to pensioner's housing.
Labels:
Demographics,
Facts and Figures,
Location: Germany
Euro-Turks: the Presence of Turks in Europe and their Future
The Turkish entrepreneurs of Germany averaged 112,500 Euro of investment per head and in total reached an investment volume of 7.7 billion Euro.
Prof. Dr. Faruk Şen, director of the Turkey Research Center Association (TAM), recently published a book presenting the statistics he had compiled while doing research on Turks living in the European Union.
He also chronicles his own experiences, as a Turk who has spent many years in Germany. The book, "Euro-Turks: the Presence of Turks in Europe and their Future", was published by the Turkish publishing house Günizi Yayıncılık.
TURKOFAMERICA has compiled some of the more striking data that come straight from Prof. Şen's book on the experience of these "Euro-Turks".
THE TURKISH POPULATION COMPRISES THE 19TH EU COUNTRY
There are 5.2 million Turks living in the 27 countries of the European Union. Approximately 1 million of this body of people consists of a minority population of Turkish descent living in Bulgaria and Romania. The remaining population is mostly a result of immigration to EU countries from the 1960s on.
This 5.2 million population numbers close to the population of Denmark and is almost twice the population of the Baltic states. European Turks are basically the 28th country of the European Union. Based on population, they would even be the 19th country in the union.
Forty-two percent of the Turkish immigrants living in EU countries are citizens of that country. Forty-two percent is equivalent to 1,777,000 people. This is equal to the populations of Greek Cyprus, Malta, and Luxembourg combined. Of that number, 625,000 are dual citizens.
ECONOMIC POWER
After realizing that worker companies were unsuccessful, from 1986 on many Euro-Turks and business owners began to implement their dreams. In many European cities, when the words "Turkish entrepreneurs" are uttered many names come to mind, including Vural Öger, Ali Akkanat, Ahmet Aydın, Hulisi Bayam, Ahmet and Dicle Fırat, Aydın Yardımcı, Hilmi Selçuk, Gülcan Ayvalık, Mehmet Çoban, Kadir Uğur, Müslüm Balaban and Bekir Akman, all businesspeople well-known and respected in their fields.
The number of Turkish entrepreneurs in Germany numbered nearly 70,000 at the end of 2006. With the added countries of Bulgaria and Romania, where there are many Turkish people doing business, that number increases to 107,000.
68,300 ENTREPENEURS IN GERMANY
In the 1990s among the Turkish population in Germany, a growing number of people opted to form their own companies. Entrepreneurs of Turkish descent, as the largest ethnic group of entrepreneurs in the country, have served the function as one of the largest powerhouses of business owners.
The number of Turks working freelance from November to December of 2006 reached 68,300. The increase from the year before, when there were 64,600, was 5.7 percent. One out of every ten Turkish families receives their main source of income from freelance work.
A TURNOVER OF 31.6 BILLION EURO
There seems to be no neighborhood in the cities of modern-day Germany where there is no Turk involved in at least one sector, including gastronomy, trade, craftsmanship, or a service-related business.
The average yearly turnover of 68,300 Turkish business owners working in Germany is 31.6 billion Euro. A large number of the businesses that average a yearly turnover of 462,000 Euro consist of family-owned and -run businesses. The Turkish entrepreneurs of Germany averaged 112,500 Euro of investment per head and in total reached an investment volume of 7.7 billion Euro.
THEY'RE EVERYWHERE!
It is striking how large a gulf there exists between the reality of Turkish entrepreneurs and the image of them in the public eye. In the public, Turkish entrepreneurs are thought to be mainly owners of döner stands or produce sellers, and not a group that has many representatives in a large number of sectors.
Over time, the döner stands became restaurants, the small-time döner producers became large outfits, airline ticket sellers became large travel agencies. A large percentage of Turkish business owners (78.3 percent) form individual companies.
There are 53,500 individual companies in Germany. While every one out of ten has a partnership in a simple firm, the percentage of limited companies is just 9.2 percent. According to findings by TAM, the average age of Turkish entrepreneurs is 37.8.
Nearly 43.5 percent have German citizenship and the average amount of time the person has lived there is 23.6 years. Most are men, although the number of female entrepreneurs is growing. The percentage of entrepreneurs that are women is 24.2 percent. Seventy-five percent of the business owners have a trade degree.
TURKISH ENTREPRENEURS IN THE EU
A large number of the Turkish entrepreneurs in the EU (68 percent) live in Germany. France and Holland follow close behind. In the 10-year period between 1996 and 2006, the investment volume of Turkish entrepreneurs increased from 5.6 billion Euro to 10.9 billion Euro.
The turnover of 21.8 billion Euro in 1996 has increased as of 2006 to 43.9 billion Euro. Alongside this increase in size and profit, there has also been an increase in employment. In 1996 there were 232,000 employed whereas today the amount is 474,000.
When the Turkish population of Bulgaria and Romania (who became EU members in early 2007) is taken into consideration, 23,500 Turkish business owners can be added to that list. In this way, the number of Turkish entrepreneurs has reached 124,500 in the EU at large.
THE PUSH FOR REAL ESTATE
While the debate over whether foreigners should be able to buy houses in Turkey or not is ongoing, more than 260,000 Turks in the EU already own a house, story, or property. In other words, more than 25 percent of the property used by Euro-Turk business owners belongs to them and a large number are fixing up these buildings and renting them out.
At the beginning of 2006 the number of business owners that owned their property in Europe had surpassed 255,000. At the beginning of 2007 this number began to push 280,000. The largest improvement in property ownership has been witnessed in Germany. Of the Turks living in Germany, 203,000 were property owners as of the end of 2006.
The net real estate wealth of Turkish households is about 9.7 billion Euro. In the EU, the net real estate wealth of Turks is 12.2 billion Euro. In Germany the household gross real estate wealth is 3.9 billion Euro and the net real estate wealth is 2.9 trillion Euro.
LOBBYING ACTIVITIES AND SCHOLARLY COOPERATION
Today in Germany alone there are more than 2,300 active mosque associations and the associations formed by Euro-Turks living in EU-member states number more than 4,000. In line with Turkey's desire, there is no strong European Turkish lobby similar to the Armenian or Jewish lobbies in Europe.
One reason for this is that there is no strong willingness on the part of Turks living there and because they are not members of a powerful country. In terms of politics, European Turks are quite sophisticated. In Germany in particular, there are numerous politicians of Turkish descent in political parties.
According to official figures, Turkey sends 130,000 students to 70 countries for purposes of study. Unofficial figures suggest a number closer to 200,000. From Thailand to Georgia, Singapore to South Africa, it is possible to run into Turkish students at the far corners of the earth. Even in remote areas of the US, it is possible to find Turkish students studying at universities, as there are nearly 40,000 Turkish students studying there.
In Germany on the other hand, 95 percent of the Turkish students studying higher education (or 36,000) are children of immigrants.
IN CONCLUSION
Within the framework of marriage and population increases in the European Union, the Turkish population there increases yearly by 150-180,000. At the same time deaths are also increasing. The population of Euro-Turks in 2023, if there are no large-scale changes, will be a bit more than the population of Greece and will reach the 10 million mark.
In a Europe where an estimated 10 million Euro-Turks will live, will Turkey itself be a part of the EU starting 1 January 2014? Although I was initially quite optimistic about such a development, I no longer retain hope regarding this issue and instead wish to proceed as though it is not an eventuality.
Europe's conservative nature, its own internal divisions and anti-Islam attitude, and its dwindling resources will eventually make it seem less attractive to Turkey. The EU will undoubtedly find a reason not to take Turkey and for this reason Turkey-EU relations will always be directed by the Euro-Turks.
Perhaps Turkey will find allegiance with the new economic powerhouses of China and India and will use its strategic location on the border of the EU to full advantage.
Source: Turk of America (English)
Prof. Dr. Faruk Şen, director of the Turkey Research Center Association (TAM), recently published a book presenting the statistics he had compiled while doing research on Turks living in the European Union.
He also chronicles his own experiences, as a Turk who has spent many years in Germany. The book, "Euro-Turks: the Presence of Turks in Europe and their Future", was published by the Turkish publishing house Günizi Yayıncılık.
TURKOFAMERICA has compiled some of the more striking data that come straight from Prof. Şen's book on the experience of these "Euro-Turks".
THE TURKISH POPULATION COMPRISES THE 19TH EU COUNTRY
There are 5.2 million Turks living in the 27 countries of the European Union. Approximately 1 million of this body of people consists of a minority population of Turkish descent living in Bulgaria and Romania. The remaining population is mostly a result of immigration to EU countries from the 1960s on.
This 5.2 million population numbers close to the population of Denmark and is almost twice the population of the Baltic states. European Turks are basically the 28th country of the European Union. Based on population, they would even be the 19th country in the union.
Forty-two percent of the Turkish immigrants living in EU countries are citizens of that country. Forty-two percent is equivalent to 1,777,000 people. This is equal to the populations of Greek Cyprus, Malta, and Luxembourg combined. Of that number, 625,000 are dual citizens.
ECONOMIC POWER
After realizing that worker companies were unsuccessful, from 1986 on many Euro-Turks and business owners began to implement their dreams. In many European cities, when the words "Turkish entrepreneurs" are uttered many names come to mind, including Vural Öger, Ali Akkanat, Ahmet Aydın, Hulisi Bayam, Ahmet and Dicle Fırat, Aydın Yardımcı, Hilmi Selçuk, Gülcan Ayvalık, Mehmet Çoban, Kadir Uğur, Müslüm Balaban and Bekir Akman, all businesspeople well-known and respected in their fields.
The number of Turkish entrepreneurs in Germany numbered nearly 70,000 at the end of 2006. With the added countries of Bulgaria and Romania, where there are many Turkish people doing business, that number increases to 107,000.
68,300 ENTREPENEURS IN GERMANY
In the 1990s among the Turkish population in Germany, a growing number of people opted to form their own companies. Entrepreneurs of Turkish descent, as the largest ethnic group of entrepreneurs in the country, have served the function as one of the largest powerhouses of business owners.
The number of Turks working freelance from November to December of 2006 reached 68,300. The increase from the year before, when there were 64,600, was 5.7 percent. One out of every ten Turkish families receives their main source of income from freelance work.
A TURNOVER OF 31.6 BILLION EURO
There seems to be no neighborhood in the cities of modern-day Germany where there is no Turk involved in at least one sector, including gastronomy, trade, craftsmanship, or a service-related business.
The average yearly turnover of 68,300 Turkish business owners working in Germany is 31.6 billion Euro. A large number of the businesses that average a yearly turnover of 462,000 Euro consist of family-owned and -run businesses. The Turkish entrepreneurs of Germany averaged 112,500 Euro of investment per head and in total reached an investment volume of 7.7 billion Euro.
THEY'RE EVERYWHERE!
It is striking how large a gulf there exists between the reality of Turkish entrepreneurs and the image of them in the public eye. In the public, Turkish entrepreneurs are thought to be mainly owners of döner stands or produce sellers, and not a group that has many representatives in a large number of sectors.
Over time, the döner stands became restaurants, the small-time döner producers became large outfits, airline ticket sellers became large travel agencies. A large percentage of Turkish business owners (78.3 percent) form individual companies.
There are 53,500 individual companies in Germany. While every one out of ten has a partnership in a simple firm, the percentage of limited companies is just 9.2 percent. According to findings by TAM, the average age of Turkish entrepreneurs is 37.8.
Nearly 43.5 percent have German citizenship and the average amount of time the person has lived there is 23.6 years. Most are men, although the number of female entrepreneurs is growing. The percentage of entrepreneurs that are women is 24.2 percent. Seventy-five percent of the business owners have a trade degree.
TURKISH ENTREPRENEURS IN THE EU
A large number of the Turkish entrepreneurs in the EU (68 percent) live in Germany. France and Holland follow close behind. In the 10-year period between 1996 and 2006, the investment volume of Turkish entrepreneurs increased from 5.6 billion Euro to 10.9 billion Euro.
The turnover of 21.8 billion Euro in 1996 has increased as of 2006 to 43.9 billion Euro. Alongside this increase in size and profit, there has also been an increase in employment. In 1996 there were 232,000 employed whereas today the amount is 474,000.
When the Turkish population of Bulgaria and Romania (who became EU members in early 2007) is taken into consideration, 23,500 Turkish business owners can be added to that list. In this way, the number of Turkish entrepreneurs has reached 124,500 in the EU at large.
THE PUSH FOR REAL ESTATE
While the debate over whether foreigners should be able to buy houses in Turkey or not is ongoing, more than 260,000 Turks in the EU already own a house, story, or property. In other words, more than 25 percent of the property used by Euro-Turk business owners belongs to them and a large number are fixing up these buildings and renting them out.
At the beginning of 2006 the number of business owners that owned their property in Europe had surpassed 255,000. At the beginning of 2007 this number began to push 280,000. The largest improvement in property ownership has been witnessed in Germany. Of the Turks living in Germany, 203,000 were property owners as of the end of 2006.
The net real estate wealth of Turkish households is about 9.7 billion Euro. In the EU, the net real estate wealth of Turks is 12.2 billion Euro. In Germany the household gross real estate wealth is 3.9 billion Euro and the net real estate wealth is 2.9 trillion Euro.
LOBBYING ACTIVITIES AND SCHOLARLY COOPERATION
Today in Germany alone there are more than 2,300 active mosque associations and the associations formed by Euro-Turks living in EU-member states number more than 4,000. In line with Turkey's desire, there is no strong European Turkish lobby similar to the Armenian or Jewish lobbies in Europe.
One reason for this is that there is no strong willingness on the part of Turks living there and because they are not members of a powerful country. In terms of politics, European Turks are quite sophisticated. In Germany in particular, there are numerous politicians of Turkish descent in political parties.
According to official figures, Turkey sends 130,000 students to 70 countries for purposes of study. Unofficial figures suggest a number closer to 200,000. From Thailand to Georgia, Singapore to South Africa, it is possible to run into Turkish students at the far corners of the earth. Even in remote areas of the US, it is possible to find Turkish students studying at universities, as there are nearly 40,000 Turkish students studying there.
In Germany on the other hand, 95 percent of the Turkish students studying higher education (or 36,000) are children of immigrants.
IN CONCLUSION
Within the framework of marriage and population increases in the European Union, the Turkish population there increases yearly by 150-180,000. At the same time deaths are also increasing. The population of Euro-Turks in 2023, if there are no large-scale changes, will be a bit more than the population of Greece and will reach the 10 million mark.
In a Europe where an estimated 10 million Euro-Turks will live, will Turkey itself be a part of the EU starting 1 January 2014? Although I was initially quite optimistic about such a development, I no longer retain hope regarding this issue and instead wish to proceed as though it is not an eventuality.
Europe's conservative nature, its own internal divisions and anti-Islam attitude, and its dwindling resources will eventually make it seem less attractive to Turkey. The EU will undoubtedly find a reason not to take Turkey and for this reason Turkey-EU relations will always be directed by the Euro-Turks.
Perhaps Turkey will find allegiance with the new economic powerhouses of China and India and will use its strategic location on the border of the EU to full advantage.
Source: Turk of America (English)
Labels:
Facts and Figures
Netherlands: Ramadan and Eid ul-Fitr among Moroccan youth
The Ramadan is now ending and the three day Eid ul-Fitr starts today. In this context Motivaction, in cooperation with Marokko Media surveyed Moroccan youth to see how they experience Ramadan and Eid ul-Fitr. In total 430 youth 13-25 years old were surveyed by a survey panel of Motivaction and www.marokko.nl named NMP (Nieuw Marokkaans Peil)
93% of Moroccan youth took part in Ramadan. The most important aspect of the fasting was the spiritual side, namely contact with Allah, given as a reason by 62%. The spiritual side was followed by thinking of poverty in the world (19%). Of less concern was contact with friends and family (3%).
The Ramadan influences how people practice Islam. A third of the youth said they prayed more often than normal. Praying was also done more often in mosques (28%). This corresponds with the image of overfull mosques during Ramadan. During Ramadan people also actively looked up more information on Islam: 30% spoke more with family and friends about Islam and 25% surfed on the internet for informative websites about Islam and read more books on Islam.
The youth are most annoyed by the so-called "Ramadan worshippers', ie, people who only follow Islamic laws during Ramadan. 51% of the youth think it's not right and that you should either follow Islamic law all the time, or not at all. They think it's even worse than to sneakily eat (36%) or have sexual relations (19%) during the month. 12% think flirting isn't allowed.
The Ramadan month also influences the daily activities of Moroccan youth. 60% says they play sports less and 70% go out less to places such as discos. They also watch less TV (40%). The time saved by not doing these activities is spent in the company of family and friends (50%).
A majority of the youth (53%) think that in the Netherlands people take into account that many Muslims fast during Ramadan, but that it can be better. 70% think it should be possible for Muslims to get an adjusted work schedule during Ramadan and 57% think that schools should plan less tests and exams. The government is expected to put out more information nationally about the meaning of Ramadan so that more citizens will be aware of this holy month for Muslims.
Eid ul-Fitr, the holiday ending Ramadan is massively celebrated by Moroccan youth. 72% says they buy new clothing specially for Eid ul-Fitr and 50% says they buy presents for others. That Eid ul-Fitr is not just another days is seen from the fact that 80% think that it should be an official Dutch vacation day and that if that isn't possible, Muslims should in any case be able to exchange a Christian vacation day in its place.
Source: Marokko.nl (Dutch)
93% of Moroccan youth took part in Ramadan. The most important aspect of the fasting was the spiritual side, namely contact with Allah, given as a reason by 62%. The spiritual side was followed by thinking of poverty in the world (19%). Of less concern was contact with friends and family (3%).
The Ramadan influences how people practice Islam. A third of the youth said they prayed more often than normal. Praying was also done more often in mosques (28%). This corresponds with the image of overfull mosques during Ramadan. During Ramadan people also actively looked up more information on Islam: 30% spoke more with family and friends about Islam and 25% surfed on the internet for informative websites about Islam and read more books on Islam.
The youth are most annoyed by the so-called "Ramadan worshippers', ie, people who only follow Islamic laws during Ramadan. 51% of the youth think it's not right and that you should either follow Islamic law all the time, or not at all. They think it's even worse than to sneakily eat (36%) or have sexual relations (19%) during the month. 12% think flirting isn't allowed.
The Ramadan month also influences the daily activities of Moroccan youth. 60% says they play sports less and 70% go out less to places such as discos. They also watch less TV (40%). The time saved by not doing these activities is spent in the company of family and friends (50%).
A majority of the youth (53%) think that in the Netherlands people take into account that many Muslims fast during Ramadan, but that it can be better. 70% think it should be possible for Muslims to get an adjusted work schedule during Ramadan and 57% think that schools should plan less tests and exams. The government is expected to put out more information nationally about the meaning of Ramadan so that more citizens will be aware of this holy month for Muslims.
Eid ul-Fitr, the holiday ending Ramadan is massively celebrated by Moroccan youth. 72% says they buy new clothing specially for Eid ul-Fitr and 50% says they buy presents for others. That Eid ul-Fitr is not just another days is seen from the fact that 80% think that it should be an official Dutch vacation day and that if that isn't possible, Muslims should in any case be able to exchange a Christian vacation day in its place.
Source: Marokko.nl (Dutch)
Labels:
Facts and Figures,
Holidays
Netherlands: News watching habits among immigrants
19% of Turks, Moroccans, Surinamese and Antilleans in the Netherlands have never watched the 8pm NOS Journaal. 32% have never watched RTL Nieuws. That's according to a survey by research bureau Foquz Media among 2400 immigrants aged 15 years and up.
Of the immigrants, 11% never watch news on Dutch television. In the 15-19 age group about 30% have never watched Dutch TV news. Surinamese watch NOS Journaal the most and Turks most often RTL Nieuws.
On average 61% of immigrants tune in weekly to NOS Journaal, with 48% to RTL Nieuws. The two programs get about the same assesment, about 7.
Immigrants watch actuality program less often, with the various such Dutch shows (Nova, Netwerk, De Wereld Draait Door) attracting about 25% of immigrants.
Of the immigrants, 11% never watch news on Dutch television. In the 15-19 age group about 30% have never watched Dutch TV news. Surinamese watch NOS Journaal the most and Turks most often RTL Nieuws.
On average 61% of immigrants tune in weekly to NOS Journaal, with 48% to RTL Nieuws. The two programs get about the same assesment, about 7.
Immigrants watch actuality program less often, with the various such Dutch shows (Nova, Netwerk, De Wereld Draait Door) attracting about 25% of immigrants.
(the article did not bring comparison to TV watching habits among the Dutch.)
Labels:
Facts and Figures
Denmark: More Muslim divorces
The number of divorces among Muslims is rising. Women especially are leaving arranged or badly functioning marriages. But Islamic culture creates problems for the women, who are coming to crisis centers and imams for help. Researchers, integration consultants and imams say they see more and more women who are giving up the norms and traditional gender roles in the Muslim community.
Rubya Mehdi of Copenhagen University says that there are more and more Muslim women that want divorces, even though divorce is seen as bad among Muslim and there can be strong pressure against it from the family. Many women are ignoring that pressure. Mehdi is researching the legal status of Muslim women in divorce cases and will be publishing a book about it.
Denmark's statistics bureau doesn't follow up on divorces for Muslims, but there is agreement that Muslim women in Denmark, especially the younger 2nd generation are more independent and resourceful, daring to go against the prevalent norms.
Manu Sareen of the Copenhagen municipality says it is a sign of integration and a positive development. Though divorce is not a happy process, it is better than in the past when women were forced to stay in an unhappy relationship due to family and social pressures. More women are coming in contact with Danish society, realize their rights and see how life can be different.
Islamic law and culture can prevent a woman from divorcing. A Danish divorce is not necessarily accepted by Islamic law and a husband can veto the divorce. Some imams and the national women's crisis center see more Muslim women coming for help on how to leave a marriage.
Since 2005, the national organization of crisis centers has noted a marked increase in the number of women who come seeking help and advice on divorce. Farwha Nielsen says that there are many cases where the husband has refused the women a divorce according to Islam, even if the couple was divorced according to Danish law. Other women are kicked out by their families and acquaintances since a woman is perceived as 'loose' if she asks for a divorce. Nielsen says it is important that those women who break the pattern get both judicial and social support.
Rubya Mehdi has suggested creating Danish-Islamic wedding contracts that secure a woman's judicial rights, and some imams want a Islamic advisory council in Denmark which will mediate divorces.
Source: Berlingske Tidende (Danish)
See also: Denmark: Debate about polygamy
Rubya Mehdi of Copenhagen University says that there are more and more Muslim women that want divorces, even though divorce is seen as bad among Muslim and there can be strong pressure against it from the family. Many women are ignoring that pressure. Mehdi is researching the legal status of Muslim women in divorce cases and will be publishing a book about it.
Denmark's statistics bureau doesn't follow up on divorces for Muslims, but there is agreement that Muslim women in Denmark, especially the younger 2nd generation are more independent and resourceful, daring to go against the prevalent norms.
Manu Sareen of the Copenhagen municipality says it is a sign of integration and a positive development. Though divorce is not a happy process, it is better than in the past when women were forced to stay in an unhappy relationship due to family and social pressures. More women are coming in contact with Danish society, realize their rights and see how life can be different.
Islamic law and culture can prevent a woman from divorcing. A Danish divorce is not necessarily accepted by Islamic law and a husband can veto the divorce. Some imams and the national women's crisis center see more Muslim women coming for help on how to leave a marriage.
Since 2005, the national organization of crisis centers has noted a marked increase in the number of women who come seeking help and advice on divorce. Farwha Nielsen says that there are many cases where the husband has refused the women a divorce according to Islam, even if the couple was divorced according to Danish law. Other women are kicked out by their families and acquaintances since a woman is perceived as 'loose' if she asks for a divorce. Nielsen says it is important that those women who break the pattern get both judicial and social support.
Rubya Mehdi has suggested creating Danish-Islamic wedding contracts that secure a woman's judicial rights, and some imams want a Islamic advisory council in Denmark which will mediate divorces.
Source: Berlingske Tidende (Danish)
See also: Denmark: Debate about polygamy
Labels:
Facts and Figures,
Marriage and Family
Belgium: The debate over statistics
The Belgian Center for Equal Opportunities and Opposition to Racism, headed by Jozef De Witte, put out a press release accusing sociologist Jan Hertogen of abusing statistics. The press release is signed by De Witte and researchers from several universities. Hertogen had recently come out with data showing that as of 2004 Moroccans are the largest group of immigrants in Belgium. Apparently that's a racist notion.
De Witte accuses Hertogen of the following: that his methods are too simplistic, that this leads to distorted results, that the limited reliability of the results does not allow to know the precise numbers of Italian and Moroccans in Belgium, that the research simplifications go way beyond what can honestly be concluded from the data and that other publications and studies show these results are false.
Since the official statistics only bring information about immigrants, and not about those people who naturalized, Hertogen tried to get to that information by analyzing the data. However, De Witte points out, Hertogen did not take into account deaths and emigration of naturalized Belgians. According to a study brought by the Center for Equal Opportunities and Opposition to Racism, on January 1st, 2005 there were 279,180 Italians and 242,802 Moroccans.
As for Hertogen's claim that the Moroccan immigration wave will reach a high point in 2016, the Center says that no respectable researcher would dare give such an estimate.
Hertogen answers that it is true he did not take into account deaths and emigration by the naturalized Belgians, but he did take into account births either. Besides which, he would expect deaths to be higher for Italian immigrants, who came to Belgium much earlier than the Moroccans. He would also expect the Moroccan birth rate to be higher, and that was not even taken into account in his analysis.
As for the "peak" in immigration, Hertogen's says his conclusions come from comparison with the Italian immigration.
The Center agrees that there is no debate over whether Moroccans would one day be the largest group of immigrants. Apparently they do not believe in demographic projections and so, though they stress the importance of having data at hand, they do not bring their own estimates as to when this would happen.
Sources: Center for Equal Opportunities and Opposition to Racism, Non-Profit Data (Hertogen) (Dutch)
See also: Belgium: Moroccans largest group, Belgian family reunification immigration sharply rising
De Witte accuses Hertogen of the following: that his methods are too simplistic, that this leads to distorted results, that the limited reliability of the results does not allow to know the precise numbers of Italian and Moroccans in Belgium, that the research simplifications go way beyond what can honestly be concluded from the data and that other publications and studies show these results are false.
Since the official statistics only bring information about immigrants, and not about those people who naturalized, Hertogen tried to get to that information by analyzing the data. However, De Witte points out, Hertogen did not take into account deaths and emigration of naturalized Belgians. According to a study brought by the Center for Equal Opportunities and Opposition to Racism, on January 1st, 2005 there were 279,180 Italians and 242,802 Moroccans.
As for Hertogen's claim that the Moroccan immigration wave will reach a high point in 2016, the Center says that no respectable researcher would dare give such an estimate.
Hertogen answers that it is true he did not take into account deaths and emigration by the naturalized Belgians, but he did take into account births either. Besides which, he would expect deaths to be higher for Italian immigrants, who came to Belgium much earlier than the Moroccans. He would also expect the Moroccan birth rate to be higher, and that was not even taken into account in his analysis.
As for the "peak" in immigration, Hertogen's says his conclusions come from comparison with the Italian immigration.
The Center agrees that there is no debate over whether Moroccans would one day be the largest group of immigrants. Apparently they do not believe in demographic projections and so, though they stress the importance of having data at hand, they do not bring their own estimates as to when this would happen.
Sources: Center for Equal Opportunities and Opposition to Racism, Non-Profit Data (Hertogen) (Dutch)
See also: Belgium: Moroccans largest group, Belgian family reunification immigration sharply rising
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Facts and Figures
Amsterdam: More Muslims, less dogs
The number of registered dogs in Amsterdam had gone down by almost half in the last 33 years. In 1974 there were 36,000, now 19,000.
The growing number of Turks and Moroccans in the city is one of the reasons for the decrease.
"We don't know the exact reason for the decrease, but the change of household types certainly has to do with it," says Jeroen Slot of the city statistical service. He refers by that to the fact that the number of households has grown faster than the number of people.
"Also the number of Turkish and Moroccan households the last 28 years have gone up by 76.4%, and a population growth of 16.5%".
This last population group often doesn't have dogs, especially due to religious convictions. Fahim Deiffenthaler, spokesperson for the Ahmadiyya Muslim community: "Dogs are meant to guard a farm, as we know by the farmer. That's why Muslims in Amsterdam don't have dogs."
Moreover, the dog, in contrast to the cat, is not considered a clean animal in Islam.
Currently the total registrations is going up. Supposedly illegal owners are frightened of the severe supervision on dog droppings.
Source: Parool (Dutch)
The growing number of Turks and Moroccans in the city is one of the reasons for the decrease.
"We don't know the exact reason for the decrease, but the change of household types certainly has to do with it," says Jeroen Slot of the city statistical service. He refers by that to the fact that the number of households has grown faster than the number of people.
"Also the number of Turkish and Moroccan households the last 28 years have gone up by 76.4%, and a population growth of 16.5%".
This last population group often doesn't have dogs, especially due to religious convictions. Fahim Deiffenthaler, spokesperson for the Ahmadiyya Muslim community: "Dogs are meant to guard a farm, as we know by the farmer. That's why Muslims in Amsterdam don't have dogs."
Moreover, the dog, in contrast to the cat, is not considered a clean animal in Islam.
Currently the total registrations is going up. Supposedly illegal owners are frightened of the severe supervision on dog droppings.
Source: Parool (Dutch)
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Facts and Figures
Belgium: Moroccans largest group
Moroccans are now the largest group of immigrants in Belgium, overpassing Italians according to sociologist Jan Hertogen. He speaks of "a historic moment". For his research he used numbers from Belgian government statistics.
On January 1st, 2004 there were 264,974 Moroccans and 262,120 Italians in Belgium, including both foreigners and New Belgians. That's according to statistics received by Jan Hertogen. The statistics did not count the children of Belgian citizens.
Hertogen sees a parallel between the Italian immigration wave that started in 1920 and the Moroccan wave that started in 1960. But while the Italian immigration had gone down since 1980 (due to return of Italians and a lower birth rate) the Moroccan immigration wave will peak only in 2016, according to Hertogen. Another significant difference is that 70% of Moroccans get Belgian citizenship while by Italians that's the case only by 30%
According to Hertogen, the rising total of immigrants, especially from Morocco, will have an impact on the political landscape. The impact will be less noticeable in the upcoming federal elections but rather in the municipal elections in 2012. "In five to ten years a number of Moroccan mayors will certainly emerge."
After Moroccans and Italians, the largest group in Belgium is the Turks with 159,336. Hertogen expects a peak there also in another eight years. The French 145,556 and Dutch 126,447 form the largest European immigrant groups.
The top ten list consists also of Spanish (55,686), Germans (43,392), Congolese (42,068), Portugese (33,326) and British (30,987). The growing group of Poles comes number 11 with 25,545. According to Hertogen that total number of immigrants is 1,569,909 (foreigners and New Belgians) [ed: which amounts to 15% of the total population]
Hertogen also examined the man/women distribution by foreigners. The numbers confirm the phenomenon of marriage immigration by Thai and Filipinos foreigners. More than 80% of Thai foreigners and more than 70% of Filipino foreigners are women.
Belgian Statistics are reserved about Hertogen's report. "The numbers that Hertogen used are generally right, but are not the full official number. In this way he counted naturalizations without for example taking into account deaths of people who emigrated again."
Source: HLN (Dutch)
See also: Brussels: 56.5% immigrant population, Belgium: Vlaams Belang's lose accounted by immigrant vote
On January 1st, 2004 there were 264,974 Moroccans and 262,120 Italians in Belgium, including both foreigners and New Belgians. That's according to statistics received by Jan Hertogen. The statistics did not count the children of Belgian citizens.
Hertogen sees a parallel between the Italian immigration wave that started in 1920 and the Moroccan wave that started in 1960. But while the Italian immigration had gone down since 1980 (due to return of Italians and a lower birth rate) the Moroccan immigration wave will peak only in 2016, according to Hertogen. Another significant difference is that 70% of Moroccans get Belgian citizenship while by Italians that's the case only by 30%
According to Hertogen, the rising total of immigrants, especially from Morocco, will have an impact on the political landscape. The impact will be less noticeable in the upcoming federal elections but rather in the municipal elections in 2012. "In five to ten years a number of Moroccan mayors will certainly emerge."
After Moroccans and Italians, the largest group in Belgium is the Turks with 159,336. Hertogen expects a peak there also in another eight years. The French 145,556 and Dutch 126,447 form the largest European immigrant groups.
The top ten list consists also of Spanish (55,686), Germans (43,392), Congolese (42,068), Portugese (33,326) and British (30,987). The growing group of Poles comes number 11 with 25,545. According to Hertogen that total number of immigrants is 1,569,909 (foreigners and New Belgians) [ed: which amounts to 15% of the total population]
Hertogen also examined the man/women distribution by foreigners. The numbers confirm the phenomenon of marriage immigration by Thai and Filipinos foreigners. More than 80% of Thai foreigners and more than 70% of Filipino foreigners are women.
Belgian Statistics are reserved about Hertogen's report. "The numbers that Hertogen used are generally right, but are not the full official number. In this way he counted naturalizations without for example taking into account deaths of people who emigrated again."
Source: HLN (Dutch)
See also: Brussels: 56.5% immigrant population, Belgium: Vlaams Belang's lose accounted by immigrant vote
Labels:
Demographics,
Facts and Figures
Brussels: 56.5% immigrant population
56.5% of the population in Brussels is of foreign origin. In 1961 it was barely 7.3%.
"That is an impressive and unique evolution in a European of even world perspective," according to sociologist Jan Hertogen.
According to his calculations, in 1991, 28.5% of the Brussels population was of foreign nationality, in addition to 4.5% naturalized or new Belgians. In 2005 the total number of foreigners stabilized on 26.3%, but the total number of new Belgians grew to 30.2%.
According to news reports yesterday, the "Fast-Belgian" law, which allows for naturalization after being in the country legally for seven years, allowed for 337,904 people to get Belgian citizenship till the end of 2006. The law came into effect May 1st, 2000. That's an average 4,277 a month.
In Flanders, 128,682 people got Belgian citizenship, with the following breakdown:
Antwerp - 32,580 new Belgians
Ghent - 13,395
Mechelen - 4,851
Sint-Niklaas - 2,029
Lokeren - 1,817
Brugge - 1,272
Dendermonde - 528
The Brussels Region has 114,583 new Belgians and Wallonia has 94,639.
Source: HLN 1, 2 (Dutch)
See also: Belgium: Vlaams Belang's lose accounted by immigrant vote
"That is an impressive and unique evolution in a European of even world perspective," according to sociologist Jan Hertogen.
According to his calculations, in 1991, 28.5% of the Brussels population was of foreign nationality, in addition to 4.5% naturalized or new Belgians. In 2005 the total number of foreigners stabilized on 26.3%, but the total number of new Belgians grew to 30.2%.
According to news reports yesterday, the "Fast-Belgian" law, which allows for naturalization after being in the country legally for seven years, allowed for 337,904 people to get Belgian citizenship till the end of 2006. The law came into effect May 1st, 2000. That's an average 4,277 a month.
In Flanders, 128,682 people got Belgian citizenship, with the following breakdown:
Antwerp - 32,580 new Belgians
Ghent - 13,395
Mechelen - 4,851
Sint-Niklaas - 2,029
Lokeren - 1,817
Brugge - 1,272
Dendermonde - 528
The Brussels Region has 114,583 new Belgians and Wallonia has 94,639.
Source: HLN 1, 2 (Dutch)
See also: Belgium: Vlaams Belang's lose accounted by immigrant vote
Labels:
Demographics,
Facts and Figures
Netherlands: Immigration going up
After several years of a downward trend, immigration is going up again in the Netherlands, according to the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics.
In 2000 and 2001 about 130,000 people immigrated to the Netherlands. From 2002 that number went down. In 2005 there were 92,000 immigrants. In 2006 the downward trend ended and about 100,000 people immigrated. Emigration is still higher than immigration. Last year about 132,000 people emigrated.
The upward trend was not an overall one. Less people came from European countries who are not EU members. The total number of immigrants from Africa and Suriname went down. Turkish and Moroccan immigration stayed stable.
More immigrants came from Asia and EU-countries such as Poland and Germany. More Dutch returned as well. Last year about 24,000 Dutch born returned to the Netherlands, almost 4,000 more than in 2005.
Currently the statistics bureau expects 117,000 immigrants this year, with about 39,000 non-Western immigrants and 53,000 Western. The higher immigration has to do with the attractive economy and the falling rate of unemployment.
The number of emigrants has been going up since the end of the 90's. 120,000 people emigrated in 2005. Especially emigration to neighboring countries like Belgium and Germany has gone up. The reason is apparently lower housing prices. It is also possible, since 2001, to get a mortgage tax deduction on houses in those countries, which also affect the emigration numbers.
The upward trend in emigration is especially going up by Dutch born. Last year 62,000 Ethnic Dutch and 2nd generation immigrants emigrated, 8,000 more than in 2005. The total number of EU-citizen emigrants went up by 3,000 to 22,000. Emigration of Antilleans, Arubans and non-EU residents went down.
The emigration trend is explained by the economic situation in the Netherlands and neighboring countries, by the housing prices in the border regions and immigration policy in other countries. The attractiveness of the Netherlands for the current population, as well as the political and social climate also play a role.
Source: Skoeps (Dutch)
In 2000 and 2001 about 130,000 people immigrated to the Netherlands. From 2002 that number went down. In 2005 there were 92,000 immigrants. In 2006 the downward trend ended and about 100,000 people immigrated. Emigration is still higher than immigration. Last year about 132,000 people emigrated.
The upward trend was not an overall one. Less people came from European countries who are not EU members. The total number of immigrants from Africa and Suriname went down. Turkish and Moroccan immigration stayed stable.
More immigrants came from Asia and EU-countries such as Poland and Germany. More Dutch returned as well. Last year about 24,000 Dutch born returned to the Netherlands, almost 4,000 more than in 2005.
Currently the statistics bureau expects 117,000 immigrants this year, with about 39,000 non-Western immigrants and 53,000 Western. The higher immigration has to do with the attractive economy and the falling rate of unemployment.
The number of emigrants has been going up since the end of the 90's. 120,000 people emigrated in 2005. Especially emigration to neighboring countries like Belgium and Germany has gone up. The reason is apparently lower housing prices. It is also possible, since 2001, to get a mortgage tax deduction on houses in those countries, which also affect the emigration numbers.
The upward trend in emigration is especially going up by Dutch born. Last year 62,000 Ethnic Dutch and 2nd generation immigrants emigrated, 8,000 more than in 2005. The total number of EU-citizen emigrants went up by 3,000 to 22,000. Emigration of Antilleans, Arubans and non-EU residents went down.
The emigration trend is explained by the economic situation in the Netherlands and neighboring countries, by the housing prices in the border regions and immigration policy in other countries. The attractiveness of the Netherlands for the current population, as well as the political and social climate also play a role.
Source: Skoeps (Dutch)
Labels:
Facts and Figures,
Immigration
France: Muslims convert to Christianity
Muslims are converting to Christianity in their thousands in France but face exclusion from their families and even death threats. Most Muslims hide their conversion and Protestant ministers do their utmost to protect new converts. It is estimated that every year in the world some six million Muslims convert to Christianity. The Muezzin call to prayer. But here in France it is no longer reaching all Muslim ears. Around 15,000 Muslims each year are converting to Christianity - around 10,000 to Catholicism and 5,000 to Protestantism. It is often a difficult and painful choice - one that can leave them excluded from their Muslim families and friends. Pastor Schluster knows what a real taboo conversion is in the Arab world. His job is to support converts by meeting them to reassure them and help them face the isolation from their families. Pastor Antoine Schluster, official representative of Protestant Federation for New Convert Immigrants, said "True, a conversion is not easy for the Muslims whether they are practising or not. Simply because Islam influences their daily life. And therefore they immediately have a sense of betrayal."
Comedian Siad Oujibou used to pray five times a day but found his questions about death and his desire for a God closer to him than Allah moved him to convert. He is now a Christian pastor. But he has faced many reprisals and humiliations from his family and was even under a sentence of death. Said Oujibou, Protestant Pastor, comedian and convert, said "We are under this law if we change our faith. In certain countries would be condemned to death because we have converted. But I haven't changed my religion. I don't believe in religion, I believe in God. And God and religion are two very different things." Many Muslims in France hide their conversion but the trend is continuing. World wide around six million Muslims a year convert to Christianity.
Source: Zee news (English)
Comedian Siad Oujibou used to pray five times a day but found his questions about death and his desire for a God closer to him than Allah moved him to convert. He is now a Christian pastor. But he has faced many reprisals and humiliations from his family and was even under a sentence of death. Said Oujibou, Protestant Pastor, comedian and convert, said "We are under this law if we change our faith. In certain countries would be condemned to death because we have converted. But I haven't changed my religion. I don't believe in religion, I believe in God. And God and religion are two very different things." Many Muslims in France hide their conversion but the trend is continuing. World wide around six million Muslims a year convert to Christianity.
Source: Zee news (English)
Labels:
Converts,
Facts and Figures
UK: Survey shows British Muslim youth are radicalizing
A new survey by Policy Exchange, a conservative think tank in the UK, shows that Muslim kids are more radicalized then their parents. The survey can be read on the Policy Exchange website (PDF).
See also:40% of British Muslims want Sharia law in UK
A bleak picture of a generation of young British Muslims radicalised by anti-Western views and misplaced multicultural policies is shown in a survey published today.
The study found disturbing evidence of young Muslims adopting more fundamentalist beliefs on key social and political issues than their parents or grandparents.
Forty per cent of Muslims between the ages of 16 and 24 said they would prefer to live under sharia law in Britain, a legal system based on the teachings of the Koran. The figure among over-55s, in contrast, was only 17 per cent.In some countries, people found guilty under sharia law face penalties such as beheading, stoning, the severing of a hand or being lashed.
The study, by the Right-wing think-tank Policy Exchange, also found a significant minority who expressed backing for Islamic terrorism.
One in eight young Muslims said they admired groups such as al-Qa'eda that "are prepared to fight the West".
Turning to issues of faith, 36 per cent of the young people questioned said they believed that a Muslim who converts to another religion should be "punished by death." Among the over 55s, the figure is only 19 per cent.
Three out of four young Muslims would prefer Muslim women to "choose to wear the veil or hijab," compared to only a quarter of over-55s.
Support was also strong for Islamic schools, according to the Populus survey of 1,000 people commissioned by Policy Exchange.
Forty per cent of younger Muslims said they would want their children to attend an Islamic school, compared to only 20 per cent of over-55s.
Britain's foreign policies were a key issue among the Muslim population as a whole, with 58 per cent arguing that many of the world's problems are "a result of arrogant Western attitudes". However, knowledge of foreign affairs was sketchy, with only one in five knowing that Mahmoud Abbas was the Palestinian president.The findings emerged as David Cameron, the Conservative leader, criticised the Government for trying to "bully" immigrant communities into feeling British by telling them to run up the Union flag in their gardens or spy on their children.
But in a speech today, Mr Cameron will warn the Muslim community that it cannot use the "screen of cultural sensitivity" to deny women their rights.
The Policy Exchange report, Living Together Apart: British Muslims and the Paradox of Multiculturalism — says there is strong evidence of a "growing religiosity" among young Muslims, with an increasing minority firmly rejecting Western life.
Munira Mirza, the broadcaster and one of the authors of the report, argued that multicultural policies pursued by the Government had succeeded in making things worse, rather than better.
She said: "The emergence of a strong Muslim identity in Britain is, in part, a result of multi-cultural policies implemented since the 1980s which have emphasised difference at the expense of shared national identity and divided people along ethnic, religious and cultural lines.
"There is clearly a conflict within British Islam between a moderate majority that accepts the norms of British democracy and a growing minority that does not."
The report also raises questions about the scale of the problems created by Islamophobia, with 84 per cent of those questioned saying they believed they had been "treated fairly" in Britain.
There was also criticism of the decision by some councils to ban Christian symbols in case they offended Muslims or other communities.
Three quarters said it was wrong for a council to have banned an advert for a Christmas carol service.
Source: Telegraph (English)See also:40% of British Muslims want Sharia law in UK
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Books and Studies,
Facts and Figures,
Integration,
Sharia
Sweden: Swedish most embracing of multi-culturalism
Swedes are the quickest in the European Union to embrace the concept of the multi-cultural society. They are also among the least satisfied with efforts to combat discrimination, according to a new Eurobarometer survey.
In Sweden, 86% of those asked in the survey took the view that ethic minorities enrich the country's culture. Fewer than 4 out of 10 respondents shared this opinion in Malta (32%) and Cyprus (39%).
Eurobarometer asked people across the EU whether they thought discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, race and religion was common in their own countries.
Religious discrimination in famously secular Sweden was viewed as widespread by 56 percent of those surveyed. This contrasts with France, where 63 percent of those asked thought discrimination on the basis of religion or beliefs was common, and with Latvia, where only ten percent believed this to be the case.
Some 54 percent of those asked thought the wearing of religious symbols in the workplace was acceptable, contrasting with 79 percent in Malta.
Source: The Local (English)
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Facts and Figures
Norway: Immigrants stay around
Around 70 percent of persons immigrating to Norway in the past 16 years have stayed in the country, according the Norwegian immigration directorate UDI.
See also: Norway: 50% of original immigrants on welfare
A total of 254,000 persons immigrated to Norway from non-Nordic countries between 1990 and 2005, reported UDI on Tuesday. Seven of 10 are still living in Norway.
Family ties are the main reason people from non-Nordic countries move to Norway, with 43 percent of the immigrants coming to be reunited with relatives.
The figures appear in a report that UDI prepares every year for the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
Net immigration in 2005 reached 19,000, up by more than 5,000 from the year before. It was the highest level of immigration ever recorded, and was attributed to Norway's labour shortage and new rules making it easier for European workers to cross borders in search of jobs.
Most of the immigrants to Norway have arrived from Poland, Thailand, Iraq and Somalia.
See also: Norway: 50% of original immigrants on welfare
Labels:
Demographics,
Facts and Figures,
Immigration
Belgium: 50% of immigrants drop out of high school
About half of immigrant youth of Turkish or North-African origin drop out of high school before getting a diploma. The cause is the low social-economic circumstances of the youth, the other language and the late entrance into high school. This is according to a study of the Open Univesity of Brussels.
Less than 20% of boys and less than 25% of girls of Turkish and North-African origin start higher education. By ethnic Belgians that's 57% of boys and 71% of girls.
More than 40% of Turkish and North-African youth begin secondary education after the age of 12, which means they already have a gap to fill.
The researchers pointed out that it's impossible to catch up on such gaps later on.
Source: HLN (Dutch)
Less than 20% of boys and less than 25% of girls of Turkish and North-African origin start higher education. By ethnic Belgians that's 57% of boys and 71% of girls.
More than 40% of Turkish and North-African youth begin secondary education after the age of 12, which means they already have a gap to fill.
The researchers pointed out that it's impossible to catch up on such gaps later on.
Source: HLN (Dutch)
Labels:
Facts and Figures,
School and Education
Belgium: Asylum seekers
Last year 10,207 asylum seekers were allowed to stay in Belgium for humanitarian reasons - mostly since their case was taking too long to process. 11,725 asylum seekers were expelled or not allowed in.
In 3,291 cases the asylum seekers were given permanent residence and in 2,101 temporary.
The amount of asylum requests in 2006 is an all time low since 1990.
Meanwhile:
The Belgian Interior Minister Patrick Dewael (Flemish liberal) and his Flemish counterpart Marino Keulen (liberal) have commissioned a new report to find out how many people are staying in Belgium illegally.
The work has been entrusted to the Belgian sociologist and criminologist Marion Van San, who will do the job together with two colleagues at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam (The Netherlands).
The sociologist has been asked to find out how many people are staying in Belgium illegally, how they arrived here, what their motives are and how they live.
The team will also examine whether the accession of new member states to the European Union has triggered a new influx of illegals.
The Belgian ministers also want to know how often illegals deal with the police and in connection with which kinds of crimes this happens.
The Belgian-Dutch team is also looking at who provides help, shelter and support for illegals and in which way this happens.
So far the scientists got interviewers to speak with 120 families of people staying in the country illegally. The research involves people from Antwerp, Ghent (East Flanders) and Brussels.
The interviewers have the same nationality as the illegals and as a result were able to contact these people more easily via pubs and non profit organisations.
The report should be ready by the spring.
The decision to involve criminologist Marion Van San has raised an eyebrow in certain quarters. In 2001 the scientist examined the crime share immigrant youngsters had in the total crime statistics.
At the time several politicians were unhappy with the way this report dealt with the issue.
Source: HLN (Dutch), Flanders news (English)
In 3,291 cases the asylum seekers were given permanent residence and in 2,101 temporary.
The amount of asylum requests in 2006 is an all time low since 1990.
Meanwhile:
The Belgian Interior Minister Patrick Dewael (Flemish liberal) and his Flemish counterpart Marino Keulen (liberal) have commissioned a new report to find out how many people are staying in Belgium illegally.
The work has been entrusted to the Belgian sociologist and criminologist Marion Van San, who will do the job together with two colleagues at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam (The Netherlands).
The sociologist has been asked to find out how many people are staying in Belgium illegally, how they arrived here, what their motives are and how they live.
The team will also examine whether the accession of new member states to the European Union has triggered a new influx of illegals.
The Belgian ministers also want to know how often illegals deal with the police and in connection with which kinds of crimes this happens.
The Belgian-Dutch team is also looking at who provides help, shelter and support for illegals and in which way this happens.
So far the scientists got interviewers to speak with 120 families of people staying in the country illegally. The research involves people from Antwerp, Ghent (East Flanders) and Brussels.
The interviewers have the same nationality as the illegals and as a result were able to contact these people more easily via pubs and non profit organisations.
The report should be ready by the spring.
The decision to involve criminologist Marion Van San has raised an eyebrow in certain quarters. In 2001 the scientist examined the crime share immigrant youngsters had in the total crime statistics.
At the time several politicians were unhappy with the way this report dealt with the issue.
Source: HLN (Dutch), Flanders news (English)
Labels:
Facts and Figures
Netherlands: Asylum seekers more often suspected of crimes
Asylum seekers are more often suspected of punishable crimes than ethnic Dutch. 5.4% of immigrants who are waiting for their residence permit has been suspected of criminal behavior. In the general Dutch population older than twelve the number is 1.5%.
This according to a report published Friday by the department of the Police Academy.
Looking only at "allochtone" immigrant groups, the percentages are much higher. 6.1% of Moroccans are suspected and 7.5% of the Antillians.
[ed. By allochtone I suppose they mean here non-Western immigrants]
The reason for this difference? Asylum seekers spend a lot of their time in asylum centers, where life consists mostly of waiting. Additionally, traumas from the past might play a role.
Asylum seekers commit crimes to support themselves. Many times they also commit crimes in an attempt to secure their stay in the Netherlands. Many crimes are also committed in connection with addiction.
Edwin Huizing, manager of VluchtelingenWerk Nederland says in reaction that the study makes clear that a lot of suffering can be prevented by a shorter asylum procedure and by allowing asylum seekers more possibilities for work.
Huizing also says he's satisfied with the study, which unlike previous studies which he says have been slanted, brings the numbers in context.
He also points out that asylum seekers are generally suspected of crimes which do not involve violence such as shoplifting.
Source: Telegraaf (Dutch)
This according to a report published Friday by the department of the Police Academy.
Looking only at "allochtone" immigrant groups, the percentages are much higher. 6.1% of Moroccans are suspected and 7.5% of the Antillians.
[ed. By allochtone I suppose they mean here non-Western immigrants]
The reason for this difference? Asylum seekers spend a lot of their time in asylum centers, where life consists mostly of waiting. Additionally, traumas from the past might play a role.
Asylum seekers commit crimes to support themselves. Many times they also commit crimes in an attempt to secure their stay in the Netherlands. Many crimes are also committed in connection with addiction.
Edwin Huizing, manager of VluchtelingenWerk Nederland says in reaction that the study makes clear that a lot of suffering can be prevented by a shorter asylum procedure and by allowing asylum seekers more possibilities for work.
Huizing also says he's satisfied with the study, which unlike previous studies which he says have been slanted, brings the numbers in context.
He also points out that asylum seekers are generally suspected of crimes which do not involve violence such as shoplifting.
Source: Telegraaf (Dutch)
Labels:
Crime,
Facts and Figures
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