Non-Dutch speaking people not welcome in Tiel bars

People who do not speak Dutch are no longer welcome in bars De Tijd and De Kikker in Tiel. The rule applies to everyone, but was implemented due to problems with Polish migrant workers, co-owner Christjan Ernste said to De Gelderlander.

Visitors to the bars have to show their identity card and say 'goedenavond' - good evening in Dutch. If they can't, they can't enter the bars. According to Ernste, foreign people who can speak and understand Dutch are still welcome. "For us this is really about that you can understand each other", he said to the newspaper.

He therefore doesn't consider this measure to be discriminatory. "Whether it's someone from Poland, Morocco or Turkey, if they can not speak Dutch and don't understand what another person says, things can quickly get out of hand. When I say to a customer, 'you've had enough, please leave the building', and he does not understand, it immediately turns to pushing and pulling."

According to Ernste, De Kikker's previous owner called the bar "Poles cafe". "He had a good turnover, but his business was constantly being renovated", Ernste said to the newspaper.

Mayor Hans Beenakker of Tiel confirmed to the Gelderlander that there are complaints from the hospitality industry about the behavior of Polish migrant workers. The police told the newspaper that there are "a few incidents", but thinks saying that there are "problems in the hospitality industry" goes too far.