[_delirium]

> If you think the Netherlands has become hateful of immigration, guess again.

It doesn't seem to be a majority view, but politicians running on "zero immigration" platforms, like Pim Fortuyn and Geert Wilders, do seem to have done fairly well at various times. At least, we hear a lot about them in the international media...

[tybris]

Society is in a constant state of flux, that's normal. The Netherlands tends to be rather open about its societal problems. The relatively large immigration of workers from Turkey and Morocco allowed isolated communities to form within the Netherlands. The lack of social contact with natives or government training led them into a relatively poor economic position, either without opportunities that natives enjoy or unaware of them. Within these communities, this led to higher unemployment, lower wages, increased crime rates, and an increased appreciation of the strict religious and political doctrines from their country of origin that does not fit in a modern liberal democracy.

Different political streams have different viewpoints on how to deal with cultural frictions caused by immigration. The right-wing populist stream that includes Wilders and Fortuyn has, as can be expected, rather simplistic views on the matter, directly linking increased crime rates to religious affiliation. Their views are supported by around 15% of the electorate, far from a majority. Wilders' party is currently playing a role in government, but the immigration measures it is responsible for are either symbolic or were already planned by previous governments. More importantly, their rhetoric or public debate does not match the reality of public affairs. Immigration is as high as ever and cannot be restricted due to EU policies. However, the general public cares more about cheap construction than about new cultural frictions that will inevitably arise from this.