Amsterdam proposes integration course for expats amid alleged local concerns
Amsterdam’s city council will vote this week on a proposal to introduce a mandatory civic integration course for expats, following alleged rising concerns over the perceived lack of integration among highly educated foreign workers, NRC reports.
The plan, put forward by Labor Party (PvdA) leader Lian Heinhuis, would require expats to take a course covering the Dutch language, cultural customs, and basic information about healthcare, traffic laws, and public services. The proposal also calls for encouragement of volunteer work and community involvement, with companies that hire expats expected to help fund the initiative.
“Why are migrants fleeing war required to integrate, but migrants with generous salaries are not?” Heinhuis said. “Nothing at all is expected of expats—in fact, they receive a 30 percent tax discount for five years.”
She added, “We must protect Amsterdam’s social fabric and ensure people truly connect. That’s in everyone’s interest. Expats are also people, with needs beyond work and income.”
The vote, expected Wednesday or Thursday, comes amid increased attention to the impact of expat populations on housing, language use, and neighborhood dynamics. According to economic research bureau Decisio, more than 90,000 expats lived in Amsterdam in 2022, compared to 26,300 in 2010. That number has continued to rise by more than 10 percent annually.
Expats are now estimated to outnumber labor migrants by two to one, and the number of expats is roughly ten times that of asylum seekers and recognized refugees in the city.
The proposal follows broader national debates on migration policy. During the 2023 general election, several parties—including the Party for Freedom (PVV), New Social Contract (NSC), and the Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB)—called for reductions in immigration and stricter integration requirements. More recently, universities in the Netherlands also announced plans to reduce the use of English in bachelor’s programs and scale back international recruitment.
In Amsterdam, complaints about expats have included claims of displacement, cultural detachment, and lack of Dutch language use. A 2023 survey by local broadcasters AT5 and NH found that some residents viewed expats negatively and blamed them for contributing to higher housing costs and neighborhood changes.
A Swapfiets location in Amsterdam was recently vandalized with the phrase “Just buy your own bike, f***ing expat” spray-painted on its window. A store employee told NRC reporters it was not the first such incident.
Resident Emil Schröder, 61, said that 23 of the 28 units in his apartment building are now occupied by expat households. “They make damn little effort to connect,” he told NRC. He added that during a neighborhood party, only the three Dutch households participated, and that condo board meetings are now held in English. “Terrible. There’s a problem with the sewer lines—try explaining that.”
Eva Benderdouch, 41, told NRC that she moved from Amsterdam to Haarlem after feeling that her old neighborhood in Oud-West had changed. “When I taught my daughter to ride a bike, an angry expat almost ran her over.”
Some expats say they are open to integration efforts but note challenges. Haya Hamwi, 24, a Syrian working in customer due diligence at Adyen, told NRC that she has lived in the city for over five years. “My friend group is very mixed. I think it’s quite hard to break into Dutch social circles. Speaking the language would help, of course, but I’ve never needed it.”
Her colleague, Laura Ciocanu, 25, a Romanian-Moldovan with EU citizenship, took free Dutch lessons offered by the city. “As a student, I had time for it,” she told NRC. “During my economics degree at the University of Amsterdam, I made Dutch friends. They had deliberately chosen the English-language track and were usually more internationally oriented.”
Hamwi said a civic course could be useful. “What should definitely be included? Tax returns! So complicated. I always have to call someone. More explanation would’ve made my life much easier.”
Ciocanu said Adyen permits staff to spend up to 30 hours per year on volunteer work. She has planted trees near Gaasperplas and cooked meals for vulnerable residents. “That makes me feel integrated. I also get to vote on local issues—like when I got letters about renaming my neighborhood in Overamstel. That gave me a sense of belonging.”
León Castillejos, a 32-year-old Spanish man working as a software developer for Booking.com, said he earns six times more than he did in Madrid. “Spain isn’t poor, but housing in Madrid is insanely expensive and often poor quality. My salary covered either rent or food, not both.”
He told NRC that he regrets not learning Dutch but finds it difficult. “I learned Norwegian, and even that was easier. My biggest problem is that I can’t practice. If I ask for chicken in Dutch, they respond in English.”
