The number of people from an ethnic minority background who marry someone who still lives in their country of origin has more than halved over the past 10 years, according to national statistics office CBS.

In 2002, 20% of immigrants brought a partner to the Netherlands from abroad but last year, this fell to just 8%.
People of Moroccan and Turkish origin are most likely to bring in a foreign partner – one in six still do so. But 10 years ago, the figure was over 50%, the CBS said.
The government has brought in several new rules in an effort to reduce the practice of ‘importing’ brides. It is currently campaigning at a European level to set an age limit of 24 on bringing in a foreign partner and fixing salary requirements of 120% of the minimum wage.
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