Migration is reshaping our world today

1 in 30 people can be considered a migrant – from people huddled in small boats to transnational millionaires to international students to Russians escaping military service to settled third generation families…. People are on the move, all over the world. Suneel Shivdasani reports on SAC’s recent research and engagement with South Asian communities in the Netherlands.

Overall numbers are not as high as some other European countries, but South Asian communities in the Netherlands are growing.

The largest Indian community (180,000-200,000) is the well-established community from Suriname, the former Dutch colony in the Caribbean. They are known as Hindustanis and are 76% Hindu. Other South Asians, coming directly from South Asia, number about 113,000.

A fast growing group is IT professionals from India, typically seconded to Dutch organisations. We met one who arrived about 15 years ago when there were fewer than 20 Indian professionals working with his bank. Now there are 600, and the consultancy has 3000 staff across the Netherlands.

During their visit the SAC team visited 24 temples, gurudwaras and mosques in four cities that had the highest concentration of South Asians. They also connected with local Christians and churches to learn what they were doing and to encourage them to engage with these communities. They took groups on visits to places of worship and community centres and had numerous conversations with South Asians, and opportunities to pray for them.

These visits provided good opportunities for discussion on faith and personal experience of God. Visiting helped to remove fears and barriers (on both sides).

“It was such a cool experience to visit the mosque and temple. I was really blessed by their hospitality. I feel a lot more comfortable around those religions now that I was able to receive more insight into them.”

However religious discussions tend to be at the level of “What you’re supposed to believe” rather than what people do actually believe. We recognized them as a starting point to move to heart-level discussions and to pray with people.

The South Asian communities were welcoming and open to visits, but from what they told us, had very limited engagement with local Christians.

Amongst the Tamil Christian professionals, a house group that started with four families in 2012 has grown to 200 meeting regularly in different cities to study the Bible and share their faith.

The full report is available from info@southasianconcern.org. It contains extensive information on the South Asian ethnic and religious communities in the Netherlands and detailed reports, maps and pictures of the main places of worship.

This was the first part of SAC’s 2023 Diaspora report into South Asian Communities in Holland, Belgium and Portugal. The goals of the project are to:

(a) research these communities, connecting with them face-to-face where possible

(b) train and help Christians engage with the communities

(c) produce reports to raise awareness, encourage prayer and mobilize workers

The Portugal trip is scheduled for 18-30 April, and Belgium 5-14 August 2023.

Article by:

Suneel Shivdasani
SAC Trustee