Compared to the Netherlands, relatively more immigrants have been allowed into Denmark in recent years. This is striking as the minority Dutch government - supported by the anti-immigration Freedom Party - has used the strict immigration policies followed by the former right-wing conservative Danish government as an example.

The analysis of the effect of the two countries' immigration policies was made by Dutch press agency ANP and weblog Sargasso on the basis of official Eurostat figures. For 2010, immigration in the Netherlands was much lower  - at 32.9 immigrants per 10,000 inhabitants - than the Danish figure: 51.6/10,000.

In recent years, Dutch immigration has also dropped. In 2008 more than 38 immigrants per 10,000 residents entered the country, in 2009 this figure fell to under 35. In all three years, the Netherlands was far below the European average of 48 immigrants per 10,000 residents. In Denmark, immigration figures fell in 2009 but rose again last year.

Three years ago, most immigrants came to Denmark to study. Over the past two years, most came to work there. Migration expert Jeroen Doomernik of the University of Amsterdam says this shows government policies have a limited influence on immigration. “In reality it is the economy that dictates. People go to Denmark because the economy attracts them.”

Fewer people come to the Netherlands to study or work. In 2010, family migration to the Netherlands (13/10,000) was slightly under the European average (14.9/10,000). In Denmark this figure was much lower at 9 per 10,000 residents.

Denmark also saw more immigrants in the category ‘other’, which includes granted asylum requests. In 2008, there were hardly any immigrants in this category. In 2009, this figure increased to 7.6 per 10,000 residents, the same figure as in the Netherlands. In 2010, more immigrants in this category entered Denmark than the Netherlands (9.7 compared to 7.2).

“Restrictive measures don’t work particularly well. The country’s image is more important. There is a dip for a couple of years, but then the number goes back up. Immigration figures are a better indication of a good economy than of a strict immigration policy,'' Mr Doomernik says.

The figures for immigration from Muslim countries was just about the same in both countries in 2010 (11.5/10,000). The number has fallen slightly since 2008 in the Netherlands, whereas it has increased in Denmark.

(nc/tf)

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