A Tale of Two Cities: Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Their Immigrants

Abstract

This chapter compares the migrant situation in Rotterdam, second city of the Netherlands, with that in Amsterdam, the country’s largest city and capital. Roughly half of the population of either city has an immigrant background, but considerable differences exist in the nature of these migrant populations. Particularly striking is that Amsterdam’s immigrant population is much more highly skilled than Rotterdam’s. This is also the case for the native populations of both cities. A clear relationship exists between this fact and the strong differences in the economic structures of the two cities. Amsterdam is a typical ‘global city’ with a large service sector that employs professionals from all over the world, while Rotterdam is best characterised as a post-industrial city, where low-skilled workers of native and immigrant origin compete with one another. This difference is reflected in the cultural and political life of the two cities and also in their diversity policies.