
Dutch municipalities want fewer Polish, Romanian migrant workers in neighborhoods
The municipalities of Maasdriel, Zuidplas, Zaltbommel and Tiel want to reduce the number of Polish and Romanian migrant workers living in residential neighborhoods, in order to keep the areas livable for local residents, RTL Nieuws reports.
The number of migrant workers from Eastern Europe grew significantly in these municipalities over the past years. Local residents complain about noise pollution and streets packed with cars with Eastern European license plates, according to the newspaper.
In Tiel, for example, Eastern European migrant workers now make up almost 10 percent of the population. Many migrant workers live in and around Tiel, partly because of seasonal work in fruit cultivation and greenhouses.
The municipality now wants to implement a limit of four migrant workers per house, and also limit the number of migrant worker homes per street. Some cities already use these types of measures to regulate the number of student homes.
Employers often buy cheap houses to accommodate their migrant workers, but not all employers follow the rules. This sometimes leads to problems with fire safety and hygiene, according to the