Despite a new law that bans it, three major Dutch cities—Amsterdam, Arnhem, and Haarlem—say they will continue giving asylum seekers with residence permits priority access to social
housing. That’s according to a survey by Pointer.
The reform, which was passed by the Tweede Kamer in July and is now being reviewed by the Eerste Kamer, explicitly forbids municipalities from giving asylum permit holders priority. Still, local governments are legally required to house a certain number of them every six months. The targets vary widely: The Hague must place just over 400 people, while a smaller town like Veendam only has to house 20.
For Haarlem, the new law simply doesn’t make sense. Alderman Floor Roduner explained, “This law is unworkable. As long as we have these placement obligations, the only way to comply is to allocate social housing to residence-permit asylum seekers.”
Arnhem has taken a similar stance. City officials stressed that giving people proper housing quickly is about dignity and integration. “We believe we must put humanity first and allow them to participate in society so they don’t languish in an asylum center. Participation from day one requires proper housing,” they said.
Other cities have also spoken out against the reform, even if they plan to follow it. Tilburg alderman Yusuf Celik described the law as “extremely unwise, counterproductive, and expensive.” Utrecht officials admitted they will comply but called the move a “moral low point.” Groningen, meanwhile, warned that ending housing priority would only disrupt allocation, distribution, and integration efforts.
So far, only Leiden and Enschede have said they will fully implement the new rules. Leiden noted that the real challenge lies in securing enough long-term housing, since residence-permit holders are expected to stay for at least eight years to keep up with demand. Photo by Pior, Wikimedia commons.
