A study by Radboud University Nijmegen and Utrecht University in the Netherlands has found that many native Dutch prefer neighborhoods without residents of Moroccan descent, even if it means «driving a bit further for the supermarket». The survey, released this September, also noted a similar reluctance toward neighborhoods with Turkish descent residents. The survey, which questioned thousands of Dutch-born participants (excluding those with a migration background), shows a tendency to choose areas that «strongly resemble» their own background, Gelderlander reports. Researchers warn that such preferences risk reinforcing segregation. «The more people consciously or unconsciously choose their own group, the greater the chance of a society in which groups live separately», they caution. Sociologist Jochem Tolsma adds: «This leads to a divided society. Groups can no longer empathize with each other. And if you can no longer agree on anything, governing the country becomes increasingly difficult». To counter this trend, the researchers recommend actively encouraging encounters between groups—for example, by making neighborhoods more attractive to diverse residents and introducing quotas in clubs to ensure a mixed membership.
