One killed in fatal stabbing at home for migrant workers; 9 in custody

A victim of a stabbing in a house of migrant workers in Oudewater, Utrecht has died. The Utrecht police say they have made nine arrests and all suspects are of Polish nationality. Oudewater Mayor Danny de Vries of called it a “horrible, sad incident."

The stabbing happened on Sunday around 6:30 a.m. in a house on Kapellestraat in Oudewater. Detectives are still investigating the identity of the deceased and what happened in the home.

The mayor said on Twitter the incident was “terrible for surviving relatives." He also said that violence among Eastern European migrant workers was unfortunately becoming more common, calling this “a worrying development, which we as a society should not ignore."

The former doctor’s office where the migrant workers live has seen other violent incidents, including a knife fight and skirmishes in the neighboring streets and cafes, according to regional media. The mayor wants to investigate how many migrant workers live in Oudewater and what their living conditions are.

"We have to take a critical look at how this community functions in our society, what needs to be done and how we can improve it," he told RTV Utrecht. The companies that put their workers in the Utrecht town have a duty to ensure it does not disrupt people’s lives, he implored. "That’s why the employment agencies and companies also have a responsibility."