Settlement Intentions and Immigrant Integration: The Case of Recently Arrived EU‐Immigrants in the Netherlands
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/imig.12434 |
| Author | Fenella Fleischmann,Gusta G. Wachter |
| Date | 01 August 2018 |
| Published date | 01 August 2018 |
Settlement Intentions and Immigrant
Integration: The Case of Recently Arrived
EU-Immigrants in the Netherlands
Gusta G. Wachter* and Fenella Fleischmann**
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study is to examine the effect of settlement intentions on the integration of
recently arrived EU-immigrants in the Netherlands. Hypotheses on differences in integration,
both shortly after arrival and over time, are derived from the intergenerational immigrant inte-
gration model. Based on two waves of the New Immigrants to the Netherlands Survey, a lon-
gitudinal multilevel model was estimated. Most differences were found with regard to the
level of integration shortly after arrival. Immigrants who intended to stay had more contact
with natives, were more proficient in Dutch, and consumed more host country media than
immigrants who intend to leave. On the other hand, they worked fewer hours per week than
immigrants who intend to leave. Differences over time were only found with regard to Dutch
language proficiency: immigrants who intend to stay increased their proficiency more strongly
than immigrants who intend to leave.
INTRODUCTION
Immigrant integration is the process through which newcomers become part of the host society
(Castles et al., 2002). Not all immigrants integrate to the same degree or at the same rate. One of
the factors that might influence immigrant integration is whether, upon arrival, they intend to stay
in the host society. Most studies on the relationship between integration and settlement intentions
have argued that more integrated immigrants are more likely to want to stay in the host country
(e.g., de Haas and Fokkema, 2011; de Vroome and van Tubergen, 2014; di Saint Pierre et al.,
2015; Jensen and Pedersen, 2007). However, the opposite direction is possible too. The intention to
stay is likely to make immigrants more oriented towards the host society, thus facilitating their inte-
gration (Anniste and Tammaru, 2014).
Intra-European Union (EU) immigrants are a particularly interesting group in which to examine
this. The enlargement of the European Union in 2004 and 2007 brought a new flow of immigrants
from Middle- and Eastern Europe to Western Europe (Favell, 2008). After the 2008 economic cri-
sis, the number of immigrants from Southern Europe also increased. More specifically, in the
Netherlands, the number of Middle- and Eastern Europeans quadrupled between 2004 and 2015.
During these same years the number of Southern Europeans increased by a third (CBS, 2015). The
specific legal status of EU-immigrants, giving them freedom of movement between all EU
* Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute/KNAW/University of Groningen
** European Research Centre on Migration and Ethnic Relations, Utrecht University
doi: 10.1111/imig.12434
©2018 The Authors. International Migration
published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf
of International Organization for Migration.
International Migration 2018
International Migration Vol. 56 (4) 2018
ISSN 0020-7985
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member-states, has been related to more “liquid”migration patterns (Engbersen et al., 2010), i.e.,
their migration patterns are more complex, fluid, and uncertain than those of non-EU immigrants.
Therefore, the settlement intentions of EU-immigrants are likely to be less predetermined and more
varied. This, in turn, might affect their integration process. Thus far, only a few studies have exam-
ined the effect of settlement intentions on integration among intra-EU immigrants. Previous
research was limited by only considering language proficiency as an outcome (Geurts and Lubbers,
2016). Since intra EU-migration is an increasing phenomenon and a much debated topic, it is
important to extend our knowledge of the factors that shape integration in this group of immi-
grants.
In addition to studying intra-EU immigrants, we focus on recent arrivals. Due to their short
length of stay in the Netherlands, they are still at the beginning of their integration process, which
is the phase when immigrants make most choices regarding their investments in the host society
(Chiswick and Miller, 1994). Moreover, we use longitudinal data which allows us to examine
changes in integration with increasing length of stay. In sum, the aim of this study is to examine
the effect of early settlement intentions on the subsequent integration of recent EU-immigrants in
the Netherlands.
Investment choices of recent immigrants
A useful model to understand why and how immigrants’settlement intentions affect their integra-
tion trajectories is the theory of intergenerational immigrant integration (Esser, 2004). According to
this theory, immigrants make decisions on whether or not to invest in resources that are specificto
the host country. The attractiveness of these investments depends on their expected costs and
returns. For immigrants who intend to stay in the host country, investing in host country specific
capital is more attractive than for temporary immigrants due to the longer time period in which
they can use their newly obtained capital (Duleep and Regets, 1999).
Most investments by immigrants tend to be made shortly after arrival, and the amount of invest-
ments typically decreases with length of stay (Chiswick and Miller, 1994). It is in the early period
of stay that immigrants make important decisions on investing in host country specific capital
which in turn influences their integration process. It is expected that recently arrived immigrants
who intend to stay are more likely to invest in host country specific capital than those who intend
to leave again. Due to different investments in host country specific capital, differences in integra-
tion can occur, both shorty after arrival as well as over time. Immigrants who intend to stay might
immediately immerse themselves in the cultural and social life of the host county. Moreover, immi-
grants who invest more in host country specific capital will obtain more host country specific skills
and knowledge, which will also make them more integrated over time. Thus, our general expecta-
tion is that immigrants who intend to stay will both have a higher level of integration shortly after
arrival and become more integrated over time than immigrants who intend to leave. As EU-immi-
grants enjoy freedom of movement, an intermediate position in which they intend to move back
and forth, is also possible. Immigrants who intend to move back and forth profit from host country
specific capital as well. Yet, since they expect to spend only a part of their time in the Netherlands
they profit less compared to immigrants who intend to stay permanently. However, compared with
immigrants who intend to leave, they benefit more. Therefore, we expect that immigrants who
intend to move back and forth will be more integrated shortly after arrival and will become more
integrated over time than immigrants who intend to leave, but less so than immigrants who intend
to stay.
Integration is not a unidimensional concept (Entzinger and Biezeveld, 2003). Previous studies
have shown settlement intentions to be associated with three dimensions of integration: structural
integration, social integration and cultural integration (e.g., Martinovic et al., 2015; van Tubergen,
Settlement Intentions and Immigrant Integration 155
©2018 The Authors. International Migration published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of
International Organization for Migration. International Migration 2018
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