The proportion of immigrants in the country’s four major cities of Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam and The Hague fell slightly between 2000 and 2006, as fewer newcomers moved in and more people left, according to figures from the national statistic office.

The less tolerant climate towards foreigners, tighter immigration rules and the economic downturn around 2000 could account for the decline, CBS spokesman Jan Latten told the Volkskrant.
In particular, well-educated young people with an ethnic minority background are leaving, often for America or other western countries Latten said. ‘They are going where it is easiest to find a job or where they can earn the most money,’ he told the paper.