Three Dutch cities maintain housing priority for asylum permit holders despite new law
Three of the Netherlands’ 20 largest municipalities—Amsterdam, Arnhem, and Haarlem—plan to continue giving priority to asylum seekers who have received residence permits for social housing, even if a new law prohibits it, a survey by Pointer shows.
The law bars municipalities from granting such priority and is now under review by the Eerste Kamer; it is part of the Housing Act reform passed by the Tweede Kamer in July.
Municipalities are legally required to house a set number of residence-permit asylum seekers, with targets updated every six months. For example, The Hague must place slightly over 400, while Veendam must house 20.
Haarlem alderwoman Floor Roduner said, “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 officials said they will also continue prioritizing asylum seekers with residence permits. “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 municipalities raised concerns about the law. Tilburg alderman Yusuf Celik called it “extremely unwise, counterproductive, and an expensive solution.” Utrecht officials said they are bound to obey the law but strongly disagree, calling it a “moral low point.” Groningen warned that removing priority would undermine housing allocation, distribution, and integration.
Only Leiden and Enschede said they will implement the law. Leiden officials noted the challenge of providing enough long-term housing, as asylum seekers with residence permits must stay for at least eight years to meet demand.
