Mixed marriages between the native white Dutch and people with Turkish or Moroccan origins do not lead to ‘better integration of minority groups’, according to an Amsterdam university researcher.

People who marry someone from a different background often find themselves distanced from roots instead, researcher Leen Sterckx concludes in her doctoral thesis, as quoted in the Volkskrant.

‘It is a false hope to think mixed marriages bring different groups in the population closer together,’ she told the Volkskrant on Tuesday. ‘A mixed marriage rarely leads to emotional ties between the two partners’ families and friends.’

Sterckx bases her research on the experiences of 28 couples she has been following for 10 years plus their families and friends.

Some 8% of people with a Turkish or Moroccan background marry a native Dutch person.