The Netherlands and Germany, two countries quite similar with respect to religion, socio-economic development and political system, have reacted quite differently to immigration. Whereas the Netherlands, after some initial problems, developed a consistent multiculturalist policy approach, in Germany, immigration became a subject of bitter party conflict which affected the immigration atmosphere in a detrimental manner. Yet, when comparing policy outcomes with respect to education and job quality, we find that better results have been obtained in Germany than in the Netherlands. The conclusion is that integration processes can be very specific and that multicultural programs can carry powerful messages of exclusion.