Dutch program to repurpose seized criminal property for public use faces setbacks
Efforts to turn confiscated criminal properties into community assets are faltering in multiple Dutch pilot projects, including a youth workshop in Schiedam that will shut down after the summer and a seized building in Rotterdam Crooswijk that is too deteriorated for reuse and must be sold after repairs, Trouw reports.
Three years ago, the Schiedam project was presented as a national model. A confiscated property linked to a criminal was converted into a youth workshop funded by proceeds from the seized asset. Then–Justice Minister Dilan Yesilgöz praised the initiative, saying, “It is a wonderful example of how it should be across the country: seize properties from criminals and return them to people who deserve them in these kinds of neighborhoods.”
The initiative was intended to demonstrate that crime does not pay. However, over its lifespan, the workshop helped only one young person obtain employment. It was later restructured into a “youth hub,” but the pilot will end after the summer. Coordinator Jolien Vredenbregt said, “It would be a shame if it stops. We had a false start and you need at least five years to make it a success.” The project is not expected to receive that timeframe.
The Schiedam initiative is part of a broader national program launched under a coalition agreement five years ago, with millions of euros allocated annually to convert confiscated criminal assets into public-use projects.
Similar efforts elsewhere are also struggling. In Rotterdam Crooswijk, a building seized from a criminal network was found to be in such poor condition that it cannot be repurposed. After structural repairs to its foundation and facade, the property will be sold, with remaining proceeds intended for investment in the neighborhood, according to a Rotterdam municipal spokesperson.
Officials say the broader program faces structural limitations. Loes van der Wees, an officer with the Public Prosecution Service, said, “This kind of projects require a long breath.” She added, “The success of a project depends on many factors and the Public Prosecution Service has only limited influence over it.” She said there are few suitable properties for redevelopment and no central authority to coordinate initiatives effectively.
Not all outcomes have failed. In Nieuwegein, proceeds from the sale of a confiscated property belonging to a convicted resident generated 483,000 euros, which the municipality is using to renovate and green a public square and add sports facilities designed for community gathering.
Mayor Marijke van Beukering said, “For structural projects like a youth center you are dependent on structural funding, which in turn depends on a coalition or subsidy.”
She added that Nieuwegein’s inclusion in such initiatives reflects higher levels of crime in some areas, including drug-related crime and the recruitment of minors, saying the effort sends a clear message that crime must not pay and that criminal proceeds should benefit the community.
The Ministry of Justice and Security said it is working toward a more structural approach to repurposing confiscated assets. Officials said pilot programs have shown that each case requires customization, and no new projects are currently being prepared. An evaluation of the Schiedam youth project is expected later this year.
