Rotterdam takes action to address growing number of Eastern European homeless people

The number of Eastern Europeans traveling homeless through the Netherlands has been growing for years. A special shelter outside the city in Rotterdam will open next month. There, this group can kick the habit in six or eight weeks and be directed back to work or to their country of origin.

This usually applies to men who came to the Netherlands to work, who lost their job and therefore their place to sleep. Once they are homeless, they turn to alcohol or drugs and cause trouble in different places. “This group of homeless people has become inadequate. This must end now,” said councilor Ronald Buijt of Leefbaar Rotterdam, who designed the ‘Outdoor Sleepers Action Plan’.

Buijt even sees people in his town who were already homeless in Eastern Europe. They come to Rotterdam looking for the best facilities. “People who would rather be homeless in Rotterdam than in Bucharest. ” He says that it is a very undesirable development. “There’s no place for those people here anyway.”

“The goal is: no one sleeps on the streets in Rotterdam anymore. But if you don’t comply with our rules, we will do everything we can to send you back to your country of origin,” said the councilor .

According to Peter van Drunen from the Nico Adriaans Foundation, which organizes the care of the group, it is very good that something comes that is not without obligation: “You can’t just get whatever you want done here. We keep an eye on the people who stay. here and we want to make sure that they leave in the end on the best terms.

The residents of the apartments in the center of Markthal are disturbed by the group of homeless people every day. Imke Swierstra and his wife, like many others, no longer want to park their car in the parking garage they rented. About five men now live in the garage who use drugs, destroy cars and relieve themselves everywhere, the residents say.

The men sleep on the stairs, says Swierstra: “I understand that it is a big challenge for the city to do something with this group because they have legal permission to be in the Netherlands. We don’t know if the alderman’s plans are possible. “We just want them to get out of the parking garage. “

Homeless people have been able to get help during the day at the Pauluskerk in Rotterdam for years. Church worker Agda Frederikze admits that the group of homeless people from Eastern Europe regularly causes concern, also in and around the church. But she does not believe that the problems of these people can be solved in six to eight weeks. “For some it is good that it is starting, but we believe that it is not enough enough. “

Buijt is optimistic that the new approach will work. “Over the past two years, we have received 500 people voluntarily back to their country of origin.