However, the question remains whether D66 can find supporters for that position within the coalition; they insist on reducing the migratory influx. However, Paternotte qualifies his claims: “What I mainly wanted to do was issue a warning,” he says. ‘I have the impression that the immigration debate could go astray. And that now you really see that one after another makes a statement, which I understand in itself. But we have two very large neighbors who both use a different approach and we can learn a lot from that.”
Paternotte refers in particular to the strategy used by the United Kingdom. There is much more emphasis on control and containment, and this has a significant negative effect on the local population, according to Paternotte. “At the same time, they knew this was going to lead to huge deficits, and now you can see it everywhere in the economy,” he continues. ‘Next year the average Slovenian will be better off than the average Briton. Poverty is on the rise and there are very long waiting lists in the care sector. Then I think: when it comes to labor migration, please be honest with each other. We shouldn’t think we can do without labor migration, because there are 40,000 migrant workers who work only in the health sector.’
Realism
He points out that the same is true for the construction sector, for example. ‘So you can talk about how you want to deal with migration in the future, but then you have to do it based on facts and what job you don’t want to have anymore in the Netherlands, for example. Of course you can.’
How different is the German approach? It is precisely here that – gründlich as the Germans are – the focus is on labor migration. They plan that too. They also wonder how they can bring migrant workers to Germany or how asylum seekers can find work more quickly. We also know that there are a lot of asylum seekers in the Netherlands, so if we can get them to work, less labor migration will be needed.’
convince Ruth
Paternotte’s goal is therefore to convince Rutte of his point of view. “I’ll do my best, because I think it’s simply necessary in Holland,” he continues. “That we in the Netherlands take a sober look at migration and that we don’t get lost in statements about, for example, not to bring any more foreign students to the Netherlands.”
It is precisely those students who have global importance, says Paternotte. ‘On Friday I was in Eindhoven, where the fastest growing company in the country is located; ASML. But also other smart companies like Philips and other Brainport companies. And that’s exactly what these students need, because they often stay in Eindhoven. And we don’t all train many of the technicians they need there in the Netherlands because the company is growing very fast. So they are of enormous importance.’