Slow awakening? The Ethiopian diaspora in the Netherlands, 1977-2007

This essay offers a preliminary account of the development of the Ethiopian diaspora in the Netherlands, charting the process of community formation among Ethiopian immigrants posited within a five-phase diaspora developmental model (DDM) that has theoretical applicability to a wide array of migrant groups. The discussion traces the various stages in the emergence of the Ethiopian community in the Netherlands, suggesting that by 2007, the community had reached stage 4 of the DDM, a juncture at which people abandon plans to return to their homeland and invest in lives in the host country. The important transition to stage 4 was achieved in 2007 as a result of the dual impact of a new Dutch Law giving most Ethiopians resident status and of initiatives connected to the widespread celebration of the Ethiopian Millennium on 11 September of that year. The discussion ends with consideration of how the community will likely develop as a whole and what the prospects are for creative opportunities, given its small size and the restrictive social and institutional environment of Dutch society.