Dutch has been the official language of Suriname since 1667. For three centuries, until 1939, when the immigration of Javanese indentured labourers from the Dutch East Indies ended, migration to Suriname has been a forced one, in one way or another. Languages and cultures of migrants usually only survive when migrants live together in closed communities and adapt their culture to the new environment. This was the case in Suriname: a sizeable immigration, residential conglomerates and an adaptation of the dominant culture, albeit a forced one. In this article, I will present some historical notes to explain the present-day language situation of Suriname and the place of Dutch in it.