Hopefully the Poles will take this to an international EU court and there will be heavy fines and penalties for the Netherlands. Unfortunately it appears that the only way this country will change in a positive way is from this type of external influence and pressure.

By Bill | July 4, 2011 10:08 AM

Discriminatory and foreigner unfriendly, to say the least. If all foreigners leave the Netherlands, who will be left? Hardly anyone, I'd say...

By Kristina | July 4, 2011 11:05 AM

A lot of the Polish i know have left or already are leaving.They have gone to Germany and the UK where they are welcome and not automatically considered second class citizens just because of the nationality they may have.There was 3 very good polish delicatessens in my area until very recently.Now there is none.

By Jason | July 4, 2011 11:05 AM

"He also plans to withhold welfare benefits (bijstand) from people who do not speak Dutch."

I am OK with this assuming that there is reciprocality here, i.e. that people who do not speak Dutch do not have to pay taxes to finance the benefits of the Dutch-speaking population.

By Mattias | July 4, 2011 11:39 AM

BORDERED on discrimination?! I'd say these attitudes are outright discrimination. Is it really only a maximum of about 200 people? If so, wow.

By Maru | July 4, 2011 12:21 PM

The Polish Ambassador to the Netherlands is correct. The Dutch are rapidly becoming Europe's racists.

By Doug | July 4, 2011 4:04 PM

I always thought deportation was for criminals or individuals who overstayed their visas.....Frankly if the Netherlands is incapable of
respecting basic European Union rights then it should get out of that institution. Then watch it sink (fast!)

By Edward Ka-Spel | July 4, 2011 5:00 PM

Dutch attitude towards Poles does not border discrimination, it IS discrimination. Period. I've witnessed it myself and the person in question was a Dutch cop.... disgusting....

By Michael | July 4, 2011 7:35 PM

It's not discrimination. We let all kinds of people into the Netherlands. Why aren't we allowed to send people back who don't have jobs or aren't going to get any jobs anyways.

Stop crying, if you don't like our country, then get out.

By AJ | July 4, 2011 9:54 PM

Does any one know what the stats are for actual deportation of any national ??? Just curious...

By Lincoln Loggs | July 4, 2011 10:39 PM

Discriminatory attitude of present dutch goverments against polish people. Holland has become a worse country for foreigners.

By Amjad Butt | July 4, 2011 11:29 PM

I would love to be deported for being unemployed in holland... man... will i get a big check day after the european court accepts my european status. Please minister ... expel me... just do it !!!!!

By Marco | July 5, 2011 12:01 AM

Dutch should realize that when Poles will start to understand Dutch they will also start beating them up for what they say about them.

By uuyg | July 5, 2011 12:51 AM

This is a great idea,it is putting the pressure on Poland to provide for their own citizens and discouraging Welfare Tourism.

By Declan | July 5, 2011 1:11 AM

Reading articles like this is a look into the future of how the Netherlands is badly governed.

On the one hand we have the boyish smooth talking M.Rutter, whom strongly believes that the sinking EU is going to be our savior: and at the same time, G.Wilders that really has influence in government & is anti non Dutch. If we continue to stay EU members, the guv should adhere to EU law, or is it heads I win, tales you lose, more strikes, more unrest?

By The visitor | July 5, 2011 1:32 AM

Let's have the same policy around the world apply to the Dutch nationals in other countries...if they are jobless send them back to Netherlands.

By Ed | July 5, 2011 7:25 AM

If all the foreigners left the Netherlands and took their international businesses with them, the PVV would be happy - and the dutch office workers and managers with no jobs or supply chains for their own companies could fill all of the job vacancies on the farms. It would be a 'golden age' again - progress be damned! ;)

By osita | July 5, 2011 7:30 AM

@Mattias: you are wrong here: there are so many expats working ininternational companies, maybe for years some of them, and speaking dutch is not a requirement. They do just well using English. They pay plenty of taxes, therefore, by the law they should be entitled to receive the welfare benefits. This is stipulated by any normal labour law, irrespective of the country you are working and/or living in.

By Kookie | July 5, 2011 7:50 AM

As a pole living in Amsterdam; making a six figure salary plus and paying into the dutch system (i get 30% ruling); i find the dutch attitude to poles specifically disgusting. Yes, i drive a polish plated car, i see people look at me funny? Why? I speak polish when i want too not witholding; i get funny looks? why? i lived in London before coming to Amsterdam and gotta say, if the Netherlands wants to attract top talent because their labour market is not as educated or driven to succeed; then i see the country falling backwards...my days are numbered, and banking in london is back for me! Nuisance; what about the drunken brits?

By Dan | July 5, 2011 7:52 AM

IMO This is just unfeasible nonsense that is used by skilled and ruthless politicians to gain support by "reassuring" the (naive) folk. It has nothing to do with security, nor with economy or benefit abuse. It's just cheap talk that will lead to no real policy action but only to more hatred in society and thus more votes for the extremes. Very sad.

By Leon | July 5, 2011 8:05 AM

This thing of the language it is just preposterous. We, foreigners, are the vital engine of this country. The dutch are lazy, slow, inefficient and rather stupid. We work hard we pay a lot of taxes more than them cause we simply do not know all the benefits we could get (cause they carefully hide us them) and they want us to be forced to speak their "language"? Cit. "A dutch speaking is like a german puking".

By Francesco | July 5, 2011 11:40 AM

@Dan: I'm so sorry you're treated so poorly. Every time I hear this it makes me so sad. I am from Canada where we accept everyone and anyone for who they are. We have people from EVERYWHERE with Dutch last names, German ones, Polish (mine)... etc. etc. I didn't even realize this growing up; your last name wasn't important short of defining who you are. But here, I see people look at my last name asking if I'm Polish with this really low voice. Then, when I say it was my father's grandparents that emigrated to Canada back in the early 1900's when they were giving farmland away for (practically) free, the tone changes and they're friendly to me again. I guess I can count myself lucky, but the whole situation makes me feel ill.

Please, people, learn to love and accept your fellow man. They are no different or better than you just because they happened to be born somewhere else on the planet. We are in this together.

By Jitterboogie | July 5, 2011 12:26 PM

@Kookie

I agree with you, I said that you cannot expect non-Dutch speaking residents to pay taxes going to the welfare system unless they get welfare back.

By Mattias | July 5, 2011 12:42 PM

@Dan,
If you get the 30% ruling, you are not really paying into the Dutch System. How long has your car been here? After (I think) 3 months you need to register it in Holland.
I think the reason Dutch people feel this way is people come here and get away with all these quasi-legal benefits that the Dutch can't get. Jealousy is the quickest road to discrimination and bigotry.

By John | July 5, 2011 12:59 PM

I wonder how much of theses new anti foreigner laws are legal under European law.I wonder how long it will be before The European courts are put in another country.Its a bit hypocritical of it being in Holland since it is systematically breaking human rights laws.

By Jason | July 5, 2011 2:33 PM

think the dutch and british media attitudes towards poles suck, u only need to read the daily mail newspapar in the uk to c how much pole bashing they do and claim how great the uk is but i guess it published and read by white trash Guess u cant expect the same fromt he dutch seeing how much dope smoking and whoring goes on in holland

By tom | July 7, 2011 7:27 AM

@John

If you have the 30% ruling, it means that you earn over 50k to begin with (therefore in the 52% tax bracket) and so yes, you are still contributing 'substantially' to the Dutch Taxman. A 'rulee' still pays more in tax than someone earning the national average wage pays each month.

By osita | July 7, 2011 1:55 PM

I think that the statements need to be put in a different perspective. Jobless people in Holland on a working-permit should be deported since they only entered Holland to work(Thus moving "Dutch Money" to their own country). People that migrated to Holland, and those who choose to become Dutch should be treated differently since they came to Holland with different motives. Then again, I hate the fact that the government makes a difference between "Eastern Europeans" and other "Foreigners". I guess they want to correct their mistakes made with the Turks and set an example.

By bastiaan | July 7, 2011 2:34 PM

Britain and the allies (that includes The Netherlands) were quick enough to let the polish in during WWII to give up their lives to help us fight the cause, many Polish soldiers died for the freedom of Europe and here we are repaying them in the usual way....kicking them out. This is shameful and the Dutch should re-consider this action. I agree that benefits should not be handed out but to force them out is another thing entirely.

By PhysicsMan | July 7, 2011 3:07 PM

Discrimination against the Polish people is not good. EU should sort out the migration problems amicably. But remember, foreigners (non-EU) are a very small community here folks! And the foreign businesses are here for a reason - cheap operational costs for a base in the heart of Europe. Netherlands was in the list of top 10 developed countries even before the so called foreign companies set up base here. So those who do not like it here may very well pack up and leave.

By Patrick | July 7, 2011 4:59 PM

This is not only happening in the Netherlands. It is happening in may Western countries, including the USA, Britain, Canada, France etc. "When in Rome, do as the Romans do". To fit in and at least learn the local language and customs and live by the rules.

By John | July 8, 2011 1:58 PM

The problem is that the PVVing of Dutch society is the root cause of this. This is also the root of the ritual slaughter ban. Running in an election on the hate of Muslims and the phony "problem" of "Islamisation" is more of a winning platform than running on hate of Jews, Poles, and yes, Gays. Gays need to watchout, an issue they hold dear might be next!

By eslaporte | July 8, 2011 3:20 PM

John: I don't care if it's happening in every single country on earth - it's wrong! This is the opposite of accepting each other and our differences, caring for each other unconditionally - which is the same type of ideology that the Netherlands is so keen on when they all go sit in church and pray. The hypocrisy in this little country is unequaled! Does Christianity and its values only apply to white blond Dutch speaking persons in this country? This is EXACTLY why I will never be a Christian or a member of religious group, never. And its why I do not want a Dutch passport, never. Its sickening and pitiful.

By Bill | July 9, 2011 4:10 PM

I dont see an issue in what the govt is doing. I support it. The problem is, they do all the talking and warn a bad name. Later they dont implement it. so all the good work behind this gets lost and Holland gets a bad name at the end of it. Please put into practise what you said. If they need to be deported, please do so.

By Sonia | July 9, 2011 9:08 PM

@john: "When in Rome, do as the Romans do"
What do you mean by that quote? Invite or force (slavery) foreigners to do your dirty jobs, and kick them out after the job is finish? Invade foreign lands, demolish all natives, and call those lands your colonies? Romans did those things, I understand now, why western countries do the same things, the are following the Romans.

By Anti Assimilation | July 10, 2011 12:34 AM