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PVDA presses on the plan “Become AmsterDament”

PVDA presses on the plan “Become AmsterDament”

Companies in Amsterdam employing a large number of international employees will have to make more to make their employees become “Amsterdamators”, offering them language, culture and history lessons if the application developed by the PVDA party in the city is supported by councilors on Wednesday.

The conclusion also suggests that large companies with large international working forces could invest in social apartments as a way to solve the city’s housing crisis, just like ASML in Eindhoven.

The plan, launched a year ago by PVDA councilor Lian Heinhuis, would include language lessons, introduction to sport and other clubs, introduction to volunteering and lessons about the history, culture and tradition of the city.

Companies will be asked to “commit” to ensure that “this group of new Amsterdammer successfully completed the program.”

The goal, said Heinhuis Dutch News, is to make sure that everyone is involved in the city and that different groups can meet.

“We live more and more life separating,” she said. “And research shows that people feel more at home if they speak in language. International often tell me that Amsterdam and the Netherlands are not the easiest place to land and meet people.

“Amsterdammers also quickly say that emigrants do not want to get involved, and I don’t think it’s true,” she said. “But that’s why the city and companies are good to make it easier. We want companies to do more for their international employees. “

New newcomers currently constitute about 16% of the city’s population, and emigrants are currently blamed for Apartments of apartmentsHigh rents and growing English domination in stores and cafes.

Research conducted by the local sender AT5 suggested that 71% of the native population believes that emigrants ignore Dutch society, do not speak Dutch and do not try to meet their neighbors. In 2023 Get out of their bubble“And become part of the local community.

However, other statistics show that international involve, take part in neighborly events, send their children to local schools and volunteering.

Scapegoats

“We should be careful about making emigrants a symbol of things that are going wrong in the city,” said councilman D66 Erik Schmit. D66 is part of the ruling coalition of the city.

“We should not blame the lack of social cohesion in the city and the housing crisis between international employees. Studies clearly show that this is not their fault and it is bad to suggest that emigrants do not integrate. “

Discrimination is a problem that many international inhabitants of the Netherlands faced, regardless of whether they have lived in the country for years and whether they speak Dutch, according to the results Dutch news survey last year.

Slightly less than half of the respondents said that they personally experienced racism or discrimination in the Netherlands, and 43% stated that he witnessed racial discrimination.