After world war two The Netherlands was in ruins, all industry was destroyed provoking a high unemployment rate, houses were devastated leaving thousands of families homeless. the country needed rebuilding and industrialization.
It was then when the secretary of state George Marshall’s aid plan provided Europe with founds, goods and raw materials. At this point The Netherlandic government had the possibilities to re-start the economy and have a fast development
The problem was that there were not enough workers within the borders of The Netherlands to carry out such big task, initially private companies started recruiting workers from the south of Europe specially from Spain and Italy, not long afterwards the Dutch government started recruiting workers with low qualification level to work in the new industrial sector.
By the middle of the 1960’s the Dutch economy boomed. it is then when the government decided that they needed even more workers so they invited guest workers from Morocco and Turkey. the workers needed were middle age males who would be willing to move to The Netherlands for a couple years. by that time countries like Spain and Italy were in not their best conditions so people didn't have to think it through a lot. it was the best chance for workers to make some money in a couple years and then go back to their home countries.
but this process stopped. by 1970’s the oil crisis busted in, causing lots of serious problems for the Dutch economy. The unemployment rate increased sharply and the guest workers in the industry lost their jobs. As a result of this economic crisis, the labour migration finally stopped in 1973. And most of the workers especially the ones from the southern European states went back to their home countries.
But some of the guest workers in particular the ones from Morocco and Turkey decided to stay probably because of the precarious situation that their home country was going through by that time that was way better than the situation lived in The Netherlands even with the crisis.
But the main reason for why the workers decided to stay in The Netherlands after the crisis broke down was the family reunification law in 1974, which gave families the right to live together. So the families that were left behind by many former guests labourers were able to move to The Netherlands. the number of guest labourers continued raising as a result of all those women and children coming in the country specially from morocco and turkey.
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