Last Thursday (June 12), Amsterdam’s city council took a major step towards helping expats feel more at home in the city. Here’s what that means for you! 👇
At the heart of the initiative is a new citizenship course, aimed at helping internationals integrate into the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam life.
According to AD, the course will be created by Amsterdam’s municipality, but the companies bringing international talent to the Netherlands will be expected to contribute to it.
So, what’s in the course?
The new course is designed to help expats feel part of their city, reduce loneliness, and encourage more day-to-day interaction between locals and newcomers.
It’ll come in the form of practical tips and community connection, including:
- Dutch language lessons
- Insights into local culture and everyday essentials (like traffic rules or registering with a GP)
- Opportunities to link up with neighbourhood initiatives and volunteer projects
- A focus on learning by doing, whether that’s chatting at the market or joining in at the local pub
READ MORE | Amsterdam is considering introducing a “citizenship course” for expats
The idea comes from PvdA group chairman Lian Heinhuis, who introduced the ‘Make Amsterdam your home’ initiative in response to frustrations around the lack of integration among expats.
Speaking to AD, she said, “The course will take a while and will partly take place in society: practising language at the market or in the brown pub, and learning by singing sentimental Dutch songs”.
Why now?
While the influx of international students and expats brings benefits, it’s also a source of many challenges.
For example, housing prices are climbing, income gaps are widening, and much of the new real estate is tailored to high-earning knowledge migrants. (And not the average Amsterdammer! 👀)
READ MORE | Renting in the Netherlands: the ultimate guide
Heinhuis points to the so-called ‘expat bubble’ – where many internationals live separately from locals and benefit from tax breaks without much expectation to connect with Dutch society.
According to the chairman, it’s only fair that companies chip in for these integration courses, as they’re the ones flying in global talent and cashing in on the benefits.
Are you looking forward to an intensive Dutch course, or are you dreading it? Let us know in the comments!
As new arrivals by als in another country we had to do similar courses and projects
Toen wij in een ander land gingen wonen moesten wij ook dat sort cursussen volgen.
It makes sense only if can be done during working hours. I can not imagine doing extra course while working full time and raising kids in this country.
I suppose you could always return to your home country where no coursework is required
Will there be courses for the Dutch to learn to cope with the culturally incompatible and entitled expats that are changing the face of their City and country?
Maybe they forgot why those people are being flown into NL. Because dutch government created a tax haven to get more taxes for NL and in the process steal from rest of EU. So dutch love to have those taxes just not the people. Talk to your government.
Expats are by definition people who are only staying temporarily. There are better ways effort could be spent to improve Amsterdam then by focusing on people who are only in the country to work for a couple of years.
Expat is a nice synonym of immigrant, so let’s force this course on all immigrants in Amsterdam, regardless of their financial status, age and origin!
Will learning Arabic be part of the course?
Will there be sanctions on those failing to attend the course?
Why not first have a course for stupid politicians on how to increase civil liberties instead of reducing them and imposing unnecessary burdens?
Fine, of it applies to all immigrants. Integration into dutch society is important, especially if you stay longer than just a year. All expats I know actually do study dutch and try to integrate. Consider that the average dutch already have their social circle, so whilst they are super friendly, making new friends is not that easy once you are at an age where you work a lot, maybe have family of your own, and in case if locals, an established circle of friends. Of course, it’s easier to first bond with people alike, so other expats, that’s human. Like many non expats immigrants do, too. I hear dutch people referring more often to bigger problems in society with the lack of integration of non western immigrants. Will they be asked to up to a brown cafe, sing traditional dutch songs and eat hema worst? Maybe a bit forced. But integration into cultural values is a good idea. Most non western people I meet hang out with people of the same cultural background, usually marry amongst each other, not a dutch. Let’s start there. And select who ads value to this country, rather than consuming it’s Housing at any price level, be it as a highly skilled worker or just a worker. Housing prices won’t go down because expats sing along to Andre hazes in a brown cafe.
I love this initiative and wish it had been around when i arrived. I attempted to integrate with locals and was shunned. I attempted to speak Dutch while learning and replied to in English. I had to do this myself and either pay for a tutor for lessons because my working hours clashed with classes, that still cost a fortune. I don’t think expats are the issue and can pretty much guarantee others will agree, it’s the locals who don’t want us here and who actively make it abundantly clear. And this is coming from a Brit, not an ethnic minority or asylum seeker.
It took 8 years for me but I did this myself and now part of communities and volunteer groups. I got a ticket once for a driving offence, so I took a course. Imagine the hassle and money I could have saved if this had been in place. But regardless, expats will benefit but only if the locals participate willfully
Waste of money with little benefit.
As an English person lived and worked here 23 years my conclusion is that people like to be friends with people like themselves, speaking the same language, background education, a short course will not change that. Spend the money building more affordable homes for the younger community.