Don’t live in a bubble, Amsterdam mayor tells
international workers
Society
April 23, 2023
Amsterdam’s
international residents should not ‘live in a bubble’ but become part of the
local community by, for example, learning Dutch and volunteering, mayor Femke
Halsema told local broadcaster AT5 in an interview. Halsema was being
questioned about a recent Rabobank report which suggested many of the tens of
thousands of Amsterdammers who move away from the capital every year are doing
so because homes are too small, they don’t like the neighbourhood they live in
and are unhappy about the way people interact with each other. The city’s
international residents are often blamed for ‘putting up rents’ or buying up property,
displacing locals and for the dominance of the English language on the street
in certain areas. Halsema said she did not want to imply that the city’s
international residents are unwelcome. However, she said, ‘if you come and live
in this city for some time, put down roots. Take care to do things for your
neighbourhood. Take part in our community. Don’t sit in your bubble. Become an
Amsterdammer.’ In particular, well-to-do internationals could volunteer, make
donations to the food bank or other local good causes to help people who are
less fortunate, she said. Change starts here: Amsterdam mayor pledges new city
style Asked about the prevalence of English on the street in some areas,
Halsema quoted former right-wing populist Rita Verdonk who caused a storm in
2006 for saying that people should be forced to speak Dutch in public. While
that would be going too far, Halsema said, ‘at the same time it is only right
and good to speak the language of your country and your city.’ Neighbours
Research published by the International Community Advisory Platform last year
suggested that many of Amsterdam’s expats are already trying to learn Dutch and
72% consider having nice neighbours as the best way of feeling at home. At the
same time, two thirds of respondents said they had faced discrimination on the
grounds of their origins at least once. Many respondents also reported being
treated differently and charged higher prices by service providers because they
were foreign. ‘The ‘only Dutch’ housing adverts are a problem and rent prices
are generally higher for expats,’ one Amsterdam resident commented at the time.
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