@unpublished{theses_frw3788,
          author = {Simon Cerny},
            year = {2022},
           title = {The effects of migration on rural population decline: A case study of Northern Netherlands},
        abstract = {Rural depopulation is a longstanding issue affecting many European countries. One of the proposed long term solutions is an influx of foreign immigrants into rural areas. However, there are questions just how effective or viable this influx is. This thesis focused on a study of rural municipalities in Northern Netherlands, using a mixed methods approach, analyzing the overall demographic trends in relevant municipalities, as well as conducting in depth interviews with migrants who arrived into rural areas, inquiring about their experiences and long term plans.
The thesis concludes that while foreign immigration can help slow down rural depopulation, it does not necessarily stop it by itself and there are other factors at play. The thesis found that immigrants and people of foreign background account for most of the growth in most studied municipalities, suggesting that they not only immigrate but are also more likely to stay, however, most studied municipalities also experienced a decline in native born population, suggesting these two phenomenons are not strongly related. The interviews also revealed that while some migrants prefer rural areas, especially those of younger age may share similar inclination to leave for urban areas as their native born peers. 
Overall, the thesis results are not fully conclusive and further research in this area should be undertaken.},
             url = {https://frw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/3788/}
}