GOING UNDERGROUND: IMMIGRATION POLICY CHANGES AND SHIFTS IN MODES OF PROVISION OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS IN THE NETHERLANDS

• DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9663.2006.00496.x
• Publication Date: 2006-02-13T17:34:56Z
• Authors: JOANNE VAN DER LEUN; ROBERT KLOOSTERMAN
• Keywords: 330; 8. Economic growth; 05 social sciences; 320; 10. No inequality; 0506 political science

The turn of the century in Europe is marked by social changes that have affected immigration policies. In the Netherlands, internal controls have been tightened in order to curb illegal residence and employment. On the basis of interviews with undocumented workers before and after significant policy changes, shifts in labour market position are observed. Matching strategies have become less transparent and labour conditions have deteriorated. In combination with demographic changes, i.e. the arrival of new groups of undocumented immigrants, the gap between illegal immigrants and the receiving society has widened and labour has gone further underground, resulting in unintended outcomes of the restrictive policy.