Am I brave/stupid/boring enough to do a little thread about how Dutch people treat expats like me? Yeah, I think maybe I am.

For someone born elsewhere, living in the Netherlands is a delight. The weather’s terrible, but the people are fun and friendly, the cities beautiful and the public services exceptional.

But...the attitude some people have towards foreigners/immigrants/expats is disgraceful - and seems to be getting worse

A lighthearted observation about (for example) Dutch love of coffee, or hatred of bike helmets, generates reams of unpleasantry. Dutch “directness” is often just an excuse for unkindness.

As an educated white guy I know I don’t have much to complain about, compared to (say) a Muslim immigrant who cleans houses for a living. But my inbox these days often overflows with abuse.

It’s worse on social media, of course, but also happens in real life, more than you’d think. The rule often seems to be: “you’re free to hold any view and voice any opinion - unless you do it in a foreign accent”

And it’s not just far-right types. A surprising number of people are proudly pro-equality, anti-PVV, #FBPE etc - but also think house prices are too high because of tyfus foreigners who should f*** off back where they came from

Yes, some Brits and Americans here drink too much, only speak English and never leave Amsterdam. But many don’t. The Netherlands is not full, actually. Your economy’s good. Crime rates are falling. Your country is not being taken over by anyone. Your culture’s very much alive.

And those foreigners a surprising number of you rail against? They work for your companies. They teach your kids. They pick your sprouts and fix your cars and design your websites and build your houses. They pay taxes.

They’ve been further than the Randstad. They have Dutch husbands and wives and boyfriends and girlfriends. They raise Dutch kids. They speak your language.
They know your history. One day, they might even become Dutch. They embody the Dutch dream.

By all means, disagree and complain if you want to. But please, don’t claim to cherish and defend liberal values while doing your best to undermine them. Don’t judge. Don’t hate. Be kind.

Pleased to announce that 36 hours after voting opened, we have a winner of the prize for ‘Most Hysterical Response To A Fairly Thoughtful Thread’. Congratulations, @CHADinAMSTERDAM ! Hope you enjoy your prize: a copy of both my books, which I think you’ll love.