D66: Refugees need intensive Dutch language courses

Emergency centers for refugees should start offering short, intensive Dutch language lessons to asylum seekers, said Amsterdam D66 party chairman Jan Paternotte. Speaking at city council today, Paternotte told his colleagues that they must inspire area residents to step up and help. “There are already volunteers every now and then who give Dutch lessons; let’s inspire the city. There are about 17,000 unemployed teachers in the Netherlands, and still many more retired lecturers who would like to make a contribution,” Paternotte said, according to the Parool. He said he does not expect a miracle to take place from a short crash course in Dutch, “but it is a start, and better than doing nothing all day,” he said. A former prison on Havenstraat in Amsterdam, dubbed “Vluchthaven” by refugees, has already been teaching Dutch to refugees. The D66 believes this is running really well, convincing Paternotte this should take place at all three emergency centres in Amsterdam. Paternotte also stressed that it must be retired or unemployed teachers who volunteer to give lessons.