Dutch people on the move, heading for Ulricehamn!

A few weeks ago I took part in an emigration fair in the Netherlands as one of three representatives from Ulricehamn. This was the second time Ulricehamn participated and attending the fair is part of a long-term project we started in 2008. Together with several other municipalities in our region (the Sjuhärad region) we are trying to attract new inhabitants.

Being involved in these types of projects always raise many questions and there are people here in Ulricehamn who wonder why we even want to attract new inhabitants. The goal of the municipality, to grow to 25 000 inhabitants in 2020, is often questioned and politicians and civil servants have not been successful in explaining how an increase of population effects the financial possibilities for a town to offer a wide range of services. People want good schools, elderly care with good quality, swimming pools, cultural possibilities, an attractive living space with playgrounds, bicycle routes, an environment which nurtures the business life, an infrastructure that keeps the flow going and not too many cars in the city centre etc. In Sweden these things are paid by local taxes and it’s the inhabitants who pay for them! (Municipalities have taxation right and the autonomy is strong which means that much power lies with the municipalities) With few inhabitants less services are possible. In 2009 146 municipalities increased their inhabitants and 143 lost inhabitants in Sweden. Municipalities are competing in attracting new inhabitants. More and more people move to the larger cities and on several places in the northern parts of Sweden towns are dying out. Luckily Ulricehamn is growing but to grow one needs attractive housing and living spaces, good schools, a business friendly environment, employment possibilities or good commuting possibilities. I think we have most of this (with possibilities for improvement naturally!) and therefore I think this is a place, which could grow if people knew more about Ulricehamn.

So, why attract Dutch people? What do they have that can be of interest to us? Many things! According to Eurostat the Dutch are the most entrepreneurial people within the EU. They are well educated, have strong language skills, their language is of Germanic base just as Swedish which means that they can learn our language easily. The cultural differences are small and the countries are not very far apart. If you emigrate from the Netherlands to Sweden you are not moving to the other side of the world. You can easily stay in contact with family and friends. It is mainly families with young kids who emigrate and these are the people we need. From a business point of view the Netherlands is an important trade country for Sweden. It is on seventh place as export country for Swedish businesses and the fifth place as import country. Dutch tourism is also increasing in Sweden. After other Scandinavian countries, the Germans and the British we find the Dutch. In 2008 Dutch tourism increased with 28 % (looking at hotel nights). So, it is easy to see why this is an interesting group to focus on but maybe the most interesting thing is that the interest is mutual!

Sweden has become extremely popular with Dutch immigrants in the past few years. The wish for more space, more nature, a slower paste, lower costs of living, less crime and the possibilites of making a new start has made Sweden an attractive country for Dutch emigrates. You don’t move to Sweden to make more money as our wages in general are lower but as the cost of living is lower as well you can still enjoy a good life. 16 million people on an area which is 14 times smaller than Sweden makes the Netherlands a crowdy but exciting place. Many people are fed up with trafficjams, unbelievable houseprices, the lack of quiet places and a social culture that is getting harder. This is why the Dutch look at the possibility of emigrating to other places and why should we not use this opportunity? Two Dutch families moved to Ulricehamn in February and started up a business.

Here, they have found what they are looking for. A place to start a business in a location that offers attractive living oppertunities, closeness to bigger cities, airports, nature and many social possibilities.

I hope they will feel very much at home here!