# Surinamese people in the Netherlands

Surinamese people in the Netherlands (Dutch: Surinamers in Nederland), also Surinamese Dutch (Surinaamse Nederlanders) or Dutch Surinamese (Nederlandse Surinamers), are people in the Netherlands who come from a Surinamese background. From 1667 to 1975, Suriname was a colony of the Netherlands.
Migration began during the colonial era. Initially this was mainly the colonial elite but expanded during the 1920s and 1930s to the less fortunate inhabitants looking for better education, employment or other opportunities. The choice of becoming Surinamese or Dutch citizens in the years leading up to Suriname's independence in 1975 led to a mass migration to the Netherlands. This migration continued in the period immediately after independence and during military rule in the 1980s and for largely economic reasons extended throughout the 1990s. The Surinamese community in the Netherlands numbered 350,300 as of 2013. Most have a Dutch passport and the majority have been successfully integrated into Dutch society. There are also Surinamese people who have migrated to the Netherlands from French Guiana or the Netherlands Antilles.
Surinamese are an ethnically and culturally diverse community. In the Netherlands, Hindustanis, Creoles and Javanese Surinamese people form the largest groups, with smaller groups of Chinese people and Maroons. Other groups consist of indigenous people, Jews (Sephardic and Ashkenazi), Lebanese, Portuguese and Surinamese people of mixed descent.

## Demographic characteristics

The Netherlands has approximately 365,000 people of Surinamese descent, making it the largest Caribbean community in Europe and one of the largest community from the Americas. It also make 37% of the entire Surinamese population worldwide. Since the Surinamese independence in 1975, over 100,000 Surinamese came to the Netherlands due to the unrest in Suriname and the better life quality in the Netherlands. In 2000, approximately 300,000 Surinamese lived in the Netherlands. Suriname community in the Netherlands is visible in many places, especially in football. Famous footballers like Ruud Gullit and Virgil van Dijk are of Surinamese descent. Female singer Milly Scott and kickboxer Ernesto Hoost are also of Surinamese descent. Netherlands is the only country outside Americas that has a direct flight to Suriname with direct flight connection from Schiphol to the capital Paramaribo. Surinamese community also celebrates various festivals in the Netherlands and there are many signs that are written in Sranan Tongo, a Surinamese Creole language. Amsterdam, the Dutch city with most Surinamese population and the 2nd largest Surinamese population after Paramaribo, has a Surinamese museum and a Surinamese theater.
Number of Surinamese in larger cities :
| # | City | People |
| 1. | Amsterdam | 65,218 |
| 2. | Rotterdam | 53,420 |
| 3. | The Hague | 46,746 |
| 4. | Almere | 23,272 |
| 5. | Zoetermeer | 9,043 |
| 6. | Utrecht | 8,277 |
| 7. | Zaanstad | 6,294 |
| 8. | Lelystad | 5,337 |
| 9. | Haarlemmermeer | 5,193 |
| 10. | Capelle aan den IJssel | 4,723 |

## Notable individuals
### In politics

* Kathleen Ferrier
* Franc Weerwind
* Raoul White
* Tanja Jadnanansing
* Sylvana Simons