http://vorige.nrc.nl/international/article2501656.ece/Court_thwarts_Dutch_immigration_policy

I chose my piece on the immigration issue of The Netherlands. This issue has been much discussed debate since the deaths of Pim Fortuyn & Theo Van Gogh who expressed their discontent on the issue of mass immigration of muslim populations from Arab regions flocking to The Netherlands. Pim Fortuyn and his party the LPF (Lijst Pim Fortuyn) which disbanded in 2007 has incited many racial tensions between Allochtoon (Immigrants) and Autochtoon (People Residing From The Country).

This has sparked much a debate of how foreigners should assimilate to the country of where they are living in. Since the deaths of Pim Fortuyn there has been much discussion on how foreigners and the dutch should live together, with polls suggesting that major dutch population was unhappy with how immigrants came to their country and never bothered to learn the culture however if anything thought that they could just live their own way and their old culture. Families whether Black, Asian ( Japanese & Indonesian ) , Eastern European , Latin American , North African & Turkish origin who participate in crime which is making The Netherlands once a peaceful place now very unstable and dangerous in some areas. The result of this has been stricter regulations in migration from these regions to The Netherlands. Tests suggesting that one should learn the dutch culture in order to be dutch is preposterous as it's against any rights of the individual in a democratic country to undertake. However one can sympathize with the Dutch as it has given them a bad image and public opinion and influence is what made Pim Fortuyn like Hitler during the hyper inflation of WW1 look for someone to blame for the crime, instability and economic woes The Netherlands was facing during the period of time.

All this stemmed from ignorance if anything about the Islamic world, and the Koran which was being bashed for how people were treated, Theo Van Gogh the movie director had directed a film called "Submission" where it discussed the lives of people especially women in these regions who went through the daily lives. Theo Van Gogh received death threats and was later murdered.

This enraged the Dutch population and the public outcry of freedom of expression about the Koran whilst others thought of it to be misleading. The Dutch nominated Ayaan Hirisi Ali who later became a successful Dutch feminist spokeswoman for Islam and the Rights of women. However moved to The United States soon after due to political woes and threats where she had to find refuge.

The Point one is trying to make is since the incidents stated above and even with a spokes person well known like Ayaan Hirisi Ali, issues of immigration still effect the people of The Netherlands. Public opinion has spoken and the influence of Ayaan Hirisi Ali has been felt however one person against vast majority is a no win. The article posted just clarifies what one has mentioned.

HALF PRICE DENTURE? ONLY IN POLAND!

Countries build their image abroad in many different ways. This could be by promoting their cultural heritage, cuisine and, more often, by promoting their local services abroad. In case of Poland, medical tourism is on the top of the list of things which attract foreign visitors and contribute to building positive image abroad. Namely, in Poland, medical tourism is developing in surprisingly fast way what, for the health care, means that it earns more money thanks to the treatment of foreigners. For instance, foreigners who visited Poland in the first half of 2010 and used medical services, made the health care to profit about a half milliard polish zloty. (Gazeta PL) At the end of the year, according to the Ministry of Health, the benefits of the medical tourism contributed to about 20% of the total yearly gain. (Gazeta PL) Indeed, there is a right reason why 120 thousand foreigners visited Poland in the last year not only to enjoy the sightseeing but to visit a dentist or a plastic surgeon. Competitive prices, short waiting time for treatment and high quality services are characteristics which make Poland to stand and attract more foreign visitors every year. Moreover, the Ministry of Economy selected this industry along with other 14 which are typically associated with Poland and which build positive image abroad to receive powerful support for the promotion of economic cooperation with EU funds. This means that the medical tourism is a seriously blooming industry and there is a lot of attention on its future development. So, if you are planning to visit a dentist any time soon, why want you go to Poland?

Sources:

Gazeta PL, 10.12.2010, available online at:

http://turystyka.gazeta.pl/Turystyka/1,83631,8326380,W_Polsce_kwitnie_turystyka_medyczna.html