ÚJ BEVÁNDORLÓK A VIDÉKI MAGYARORSZÁGON: ÉLETSTÍLUS-MIGRÁCIÓ HOLLANDIÁBÓL

Absztrakt

This paper analyses the rapid growth of Dutch migration to Hungary through a mixed-methods approach that combines quantitative and qualitative research. It shows that Dutch migrants are predominantly above 50, economically inactive, and often dependent on pensions or disability benefits from the Netherlands. Spatially, they are underrepresented in Budapest and strongly concentrated in rural villages in Southern Transdanubia, especially in Baranya County. While their migration is partly driven by classical lifestyle motivations (e.g., attractive climatic conditions and slower pace of everyday life), economic and cultural considerations play a central role, including their perceived financial vulnerability and concerns with social and political dynamics in the Netherlands. While local stakeholders in rural Hungary often emphasise Dutch immigration’s contribution to housing renewal and rural revitalisation, the findings also reveal that Dutch immigrants’ fiscal contributions to broader economic development are limited, their integration into local society mostly remains weak, and their vulnerability related to ageing and care is increasing. The study highlights Hungary’s growing role within the European networks of lifestyle migration and raises questions about the long-term sustainability of this migration stream.