Are you a non-Dutch person working and living in the Netherlands?
Chances are, you have a lot of knowledge worth sharing about life here in the lowlands. To make sure that migrant workers are being heard in the places that matter, Share My Voice is once again launching an extensive survey across the Netherlands.
You probably hear it all the time — the Netherlands is a lovely place to live as an international. Migrant workers and expats flock to this tiny country to enjoy the many benefits of living in the land of bikes, dikes, and stroopwafels.
But, let’s face it, life is not always rosy red, even in the Netherlands. Costs of living are high, the weather is usually rather depressing — and don’t even get us started on the housing market.
And, on an even more concerning note, only one-quarter of the migrant workers feel welcome in their local community, according to the January 2021 version of the Share My Voice survey.
What is the Share my Voice Survey?
Share My Voice is a research panel by migrant workers, for migrant workers. Their task is to map out the experiences of international people working and living in the Netherlands, for one simple reason: they want the Netherlands to become the best possible host country.
A few times a year, surveys are run questioning things like life satisfaction, living situation, and levels of integration into Dutch society for migrant workers. This makes for systematic and thorough research on what it’s really like to live and work in the Netherlands, as a non-Dutch person.
The next survey runs from November 10 until December 16 — so you’ve got just over a month to share your voice about living in the Netherlands.
Why should you care about this survey?
There are currently many hundred thousand migrant workers in the Netherlands, a number that’s only likely to increase in the coming years. But that’s not all: migrants and migrant workers have always played a crucial part in shaping Dutch culture, society and economy — making it all the more important to hear what this group has to say.
Yet, although a lot of politicians and decision-makers talk about migrant workers in the Netherlands, there’s still some work to be done when it comes to talking with migrant workers in the Netherlands.
If you want a safe, anonymous space to voice exactly how much, or how little, you like living in the Netherlands, well, then the Share My Voice surveys should be just your thing.
Best of all, you’re not just talking to the wall — the research panel will shed light on the issues you care about, for the people that can actually do something about them.
Oh, also, the survey can be conducted in a bunch of different languages, in case doing it in English (or, God forbid, Dutch!) sounds a bit stressful.
How can I share my opinion?
Now that you’ve been convinced of the importance of letting yourself be heard in Dutch society, there’s just one step left: signing up!
The next survey is all about housing and living conditions for migrant workers, and given the current housing situation, we bet there are a few people out there with something to say.
To take part:
- Go to the Share My Voice website between November 10 and December 16,
- Take just 10 minutes of your day to fill in the survey,
- And boom. You’ve contributed to making the Netherlands a better place to live for migrant workers. You go, you! 🎉
What is your favourite, and least favourite thing about living in the Netherlands? Tell us in the comments below!
I don’t understand how this survey can help the Netherlands to become a better country for international workers. There’s no such questions like ‘how integrated do you feel?’, ‘does your company provide a good environment for international workers?’, ‘how easy was for you getting home services, such like energy, water, internet…?’ or regarding Dutch skills: ‘how comfortable do feel with your current Dutch level?’, ‘how do you improve your Dutch level? Governmental allowance? does your company support you?’