The number of people moving to the Netherlands reached almost 26,000 in the first three months of this year, 3,000 more than the same period in 2006, says national statistics office CBS.

Most of the immigrants came from other EU countries, but some 6,000 were Dutch nationals returning from abroad. Around 29,000 people left the Netherlands in the first quarter of this year, 3,000 fewer than in 2006.
The CBS also reports that the number of live births fell to 44,000, a 20-year record low, in the first three months of the year. The number of deaths fell by 1,000 to 35,000.