The Dutch Eldorado. Experiences of Polish migrants in the Netherlands.

Abstract

This thesis is based on two and a half months of anthropological research carried out among Polish migrants in the Netherlands. Since 2004 Poles have become representative of and synonymous with all recent migrants from Central and Eastern Europe that have moved to Western European countries. Although the Netherlands was never a top destination among Poles in the past, since Poland’s accession to the EU in 2004 and the opening of the Dutch labour market, the Netherlands has become an attractive place for many Poles to settle. This work focuses on recent Polish migrants in the Netherlands with respect to their motives for migration, work experiences, the composition of social networks, their attitudes towards the Netherlands and ways for maintaining a connection with Poland. The aim is to give Polish migrants a voice, as well as to decrease the informational gap between Dutch and Polish people. Moreover, this research contributes to the debate on recent Polish migration in the academic world and focuses on the understanding of matters related to Polish migrants in the Netherlands, along with their own perspectives and experiences.