Amsterdam to hire more young people with criminal records

The Amsterdam city council adopted a proposal made by the D66, PvdA and GroenLinks to limit the certificate of good behavior rule at some jobs in the city, including jobs at the Amsterdam municipality itself. This means that young people with a criminal record now have a better chance at finding work in the Dutch capital, Het Parool reports.

For many jobs, not having a certificate of good behavior automatically means disqualification. The three Amsterdam parties felt this was unfair with regards to young people who in their "stupidity" got a criminal record at a young age. "Despite their mistake, these young people deserve a second chance, no double punishment", D66 city councilor Ariella Verheul said.

In addition to hiring more young people with criminal records itself, the Amsterdam municipality will also discuss this with other employers as well as the Ministry of Security and Justice.

Another aspect of the proposal is giving kids and young people a better explanation about the certificate of good behavior, and the consequences of not having one. According to the parties, there are currently too many urban legend stories about the certificate and what you need to get one. According to them, a large group of young people often incorrectly assume that they won't be able to get such a certificate and therefore never apply for one.