Home Blog Page 498

Over 50,000 students might not be able to find housing from 2024

Jana Vondráčková 🇨🇿
-
5
Over 50,000 students might not be able to find housing from 2024

We all know that the Netherlands is struggling with a housing shortage. But one group of people that’s suffering from this — and will continue to suffer in the future — is often not talked about: students. 

Last year in autumn, there was a shortage of housing for 22,000 students. In the academic year 2024-2025, this number is expected to more than double, reports Trouw.

It gets even worse. The Netherlands is planning to build 18,000 new student residences up to the year 2024. However, “only if they are actually built can the shortage be limited to 50,000 even in the quietest time of the year,” says the director of student housing knowledge centre Kences, Jolan de Bie. That doesn’t sound very reassuring now, does it?

More students trying to find housing this year

The number of students looking for housing this academic year will already sharply increase, according to Kences’ expectations. 

Why? In addition to first-years, there are also all the second-years and students from abroad who spent the past year stuck behind their computer screens — and who are now keen to finally live the student lives of their dreams. 💃

Growing student numbers

The number of new students, however, will only go up. According to figures released by the Dutch Ministry of Education, the Netherlands will see 103,000 more students at colleges and universities in the year 2024-2025 than previously expected. 

Students from outside the Netherlands significantly contribute to these numbers. Especially those from within the EU are expected to choose the Netherlands for their studies more often than before — and we have Brexit to thank for that. 🙃

What do foreign students make out of this?

As you might have already guessed, students from abroad are likely to lose out the most on the growing student housing shortage. 

This is not only because they’re not able to travel back and forth between their parents’ home and their university until they find a room, but also because — let’s be honest — the Dutch housing market is a total nightmare for international students.

For every room suitable for an international, there are at least 100 other rooms that want “Dutch speaking only” and “no internationals” — or at least that’s what it feels like when you search for a room as an international student, anyway.

This is why some Dutch universities are going as far as to advise foreign students without housing to look for a study elsewhere — yep, you may need to choose your university based solely on whether you’ll have a roof over your head. ☔️

What do you think of this situation? Should the Netherlands do more to tackle the student housing shortage? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: joyfull/Depositphotos

Rainbow flags spark incidents across Amsterdam

Farah Al Mazouni 🇸🇾 🇺🇸
-
0
Rainbow flags spark incidents across Amsterdam

The police are investigating a break-in and arson incident that occurred last Friday morning in a student building in Amsterdam-West. They suspect that the attack was fueled by the rainbow flag on the building.

Earlier attempts to vandalize flags and doors left with swastikas in the same building preceded the Friday incident, which left four victims hospitalized and involved theft of valuables.

Several other incidents which involved the LGBTQ+ community have been reported since the start of Amsterdam Pride at the end of July, according to RTL Nieuws.

Fundraiser

In counter efforts, the attacks sparked a fundraising campaign to hang as many rainbow flags as possible in the targeted Amsterdam neighbourhood. The target amount of the campaign — €3,000 — was easily achieved. That’ll show them! 🏳️‍🌈 📣

Why flags?

Why were the incidents all sparked by flags? “A flag clearly stands for a certain group,” Theun Okkerse of the Dutch Association for Flag Science explains to RTL Nieuws.

“A rainbow flag is very important for that group. If you want to manifest yourself somewhere, such a flag is important,” he adds.

Follow DutchReview on Facebook and Instagram for the latest news!

Feature Image: massonforstock/ Depositphotos

Dutch university lecturer calls it quits over relaxed COVID-19 measures

Nicole Ogden 🇹🇭 🇺🇸
-
1
Dutch university lecturer calls it quits over relaxed COVID-19 measures

A PhD student and lecturer from the University of Amsterdam (UvA) has left his job as a result of the relaxed coronavirus measures that are due to start in September. 

Many Dutch university students have spent the past year behind a screen, feeling isolated and unmotivated — but with the rise of infections, is now the time to re-open?

In an opinion piece for the student magazine Folia, literature lecturer Matt Cornell has called the university’s COVID-19 measures too relaxed and “irresponsible”. 

At UvA, students will be allowed to return to campus without keeping a 1.5-metre distance. While masks must remain on when moving, seated students can remove them. 🤔

“Like many other companies that are profit-oriented or pretend to be, the UvA has chosen to focus on what is allowed, rather than what is responsible,” said Cornell in the article. 

university-building-courtyard-amsterdam
Students will return to the University of Amsterdam campus in September. Image: alessiapenny/Depositphotos

‘Hygiene theatre’

Cornell believes that UvA is ignoring the advice from the GGD and the Outbreak Management team. He calls these relaxed measures merely “hygiene theatre.” 🎭

He also claimed that students and staff doing self-tests is not enough. He believes that the university should have a testing centre on campus with trained professionals. 

“The UvA should only offer face-to-face education to those who have been vaccinated,” he says.

UvA responds

A university spokesperson has responded to Cornell, arguing that students are suffering from mental health issues and loneliness and that these relaxed measures can help with that. 

“‘It is incredibly important that after a year and a half of distance-learning, students can go back to campus,” said the spokesperson. 

What do you think about this professor calling it quits? Let us know in the comments below!

Feature Image: Frans Ruiter/Unsplash

Fear of needles is stopping young Dutchies from getting vaccinated

Jana Vondráčková 🇨🇿
-
2
Fear of needles is stopping young Dutchies from getting vaccinated

One in five young people in the Netherlands doesn’t want to get vaccinated against the coronavirus because of needlestick anxiety. 

This number is worrisome — especially as secondary schools and higher education are reopening, while the number of coronavirus infections is rising.  

Needlestick anxiety

The GGDs estimate that about 20% of adults have a fear of needles. This percentage is even higher among young people, reports AD.

“We know that young people are extra sensitive to fainting,” says Laetitia Gruwel, a spokesperson for the GGDs umbrella organisation GGD GHOR. 

She goes on to explain that “people who are tall and slim are more likely to faint. That also applies to adolescents who are going through a growth spurt.” 

An unpleasant experience with fainting in the past, as well as fear of losing control, can also contribute to needlestick anxiety. 

Vaccination among young people lagging behind

According to GGD GHOR’s estimates, about one in five people with a serious fear of needles don’t get vaccinated. 

This means that out of the approximately 1.1 million teenagers in the Netherlands who have now been invited to get a shot, 220,000 would refuse the vaccine. 

Extra measures to overcome fear of needles

Aware of the challenges that this poses, the Dutch GGDs are taking extra measures to help people overcome the fear of needles.

Vaccination centres in Utrecht and Arnhem have set up special injection anxiety consultation hours. Other locations have opted for short information films. 

The GGDs also advise people with a fear of needles to report this upon arrival in the vaccination centre. “Then we can ensure that you don’t have to stand in line and that you can be jabbed while lying in a quiet room.”

Have you experienced needle anxiety? What are your thoughts on GGDs’ efforts to help people overcome this? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: Milkos/Depositphotos

Dutch people protest against the arrival of Afghan refugees — police forced to intervene

Jen Lorimer 🇿🇼
-
4
Dutch people protest against the arrival of Afghan refugees — police forced to intervene

Last night, a protest was held against the arrival of hundreds of refugees from Afghanistan at De Harskamp army camp in the municipality of Ede. Tensions escalated with car tires being set alight. The police were forced to use dogs to disperse the crowd.

The protest was initially peaceful. However, as the evening wore on, tensions mounted — with the demonstrators setting car tires on fires and chanting nationalist slogans, such as “own people first”, reports Omroep Gelderland.  

There were about 250 protestors — eek! — most of whom were young people from the neighbourhood and surrounding villages.

Shelters for Afghan evacuees

The emergency shelter in Ede was opened yesterday, as the first evacuees from Afghanistan arrived in the afternoon, reports RTL Nieuws. The facility will be able to accommodate 800 people and is one of three emergency shelters that have already been put to use in the Netherlands.

The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) announced that it would open a fourth emergency shelter in Nijmegen. The facility will have space for 750 to 1,000 people until January 2022, at the latest.

What are your thoughts on this protest? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: Foto-VDW/Depositphotos

Weekly update: Dutch COVID-19 infections are rising once again

Jen Lorimer 🇿🇼
-
0
Weekly update: Dutch COVID-19 infections are rising once again

The RIVM has released its weekly coronavirus figures from August 18 to August 24. The number of infections has increased slightly compared to the previous week.

Over the past week, the RIVM has reported 17,315 new infections in the Netherlands. This is an increase compared to last week’s report of 16,564 infections.

It’s not all doom and gloom though, the percentage of positive tests decreased to 13.7% compared to 14.6% the week before.

Deaths

The number of patients who have died from COVID-19-related complications has also slightly increased. This week, 48 people passed away, compared to 42 people the previous week.

Hospitalisations

Hospitalisations have continued to decrease while the number of admissions to the ICU has remained the same. The past week saw 405 new admissions to the nursing ward and 92 new patients in the ICU. The week before, there were 461 and 92, respectively.

Government announces new restrictions for three travel destinations

The Dutch Government has recently updated its travel advice for three popular European travel destinations as their coronavirus status has changed from green to yellow on the European Prevention for Disease Control (EPDC) map. 

As of 21 August, Dutchies returning to the Netherlands from vacations in Bulgaria, Norway, and Adriatic Croatia are now required to show a corona certificate.

Employee fired after being caught coughing at work

An employee from the chemical company DuPont in Dordrecht will be dismissed after he appeared at work in mid-March with a heavy cough and refused to go home (nee, dankjewel). He subsequently tested positive for coronavirus.

Government wants people to pay for access tests

Up until this point access tests for events have been given for free. However, during a recent coronavirus debate in the House of Representatives, several political parties submitted a motion asking the government to work towards a policy where people make a personal contribution to their tests in the future — now that most people have had the opportunity to be vaccinated.

This motion was approved by a narrow majority in the cabinet.

Follow DutchReview on Facebook for the latest news and coronavirus updates.

Feature Image: Syda_Productions/Depositphotos

Calling all redheads in the Netherlands: Friday is your time to shine

Jen Lorimer 🇿🇼
-
0
Calling all redheads in the Netherlands: Friday is your time to shine

Calling all redheads near and far. Come and be part of a massive sea of redheads at Tilburg’s annual Redhead Days festival from Friday, August 27 to Sunday, August 29, 2021.  

Did you know that less than 2% of the world’s population has red hair? 😱 If you’re a ginger and have ever felt self-conscious about standing out, or you’re a ginger and you know you’re gorgeous, cancel your weekend plans and buy a Ticket to Tilburg because the Redhead Days festival is for you!

For more than 14 years this unique event has been a highlight in the redhead calendar, attracting gingers from all over the world to Tilburg.

This year coronavirus has thrown a curveball: for safety reasons, and due to travel restrictions, the festival will be on a smaller scale, but still with all that gezelligheid that brings the redheads back year after year.

Interested? Where do you need to go?

This weekend, the lush surrounds of Tilburg’s Spoorpark in the city centre will be transformed into a temporary home for hundreds of redheads. Entrance is free, and it’s just a short walk from Tilburg Central Station — so that old excuse that you don’t have transport won’t hold. If you were blessed with fiery locks, you have no excuse not to go!

What can you expect from Redhead Days?

The program for the weekend includes heaps of fun activities, from barbecues every evening in the Spoorpark, to portrait sketch workshops on Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

There will also be speed-meets — so if you fancy getting to know a quirky ginger from Amsterdam, Groningen, or maybe even Scotland (potentially your new best friend), this is the place for you.

On Sunday at noon, there will be a group photoshoot — for natural redheads only — at the Tribune area in the Spoorpark. Now, I’m not a redhead, but I’ve gotta admit to having a little (read, a lot) of FOMO. Those are group photos we would love to see!

The evenings will end around the campfire at Stadscamping, or with small parties at Café Lollipop.

Been there, done that, got the T-shirt?

Did we forget to mention there’ll be Redhead Days merch too! 😍 This festival is not to be missed.

What are your thoughts on the Redheads festival? Will you be attending? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: Merk Tilburg


Heroic or impulsive? Woman helps police in The Hague in dramatic video

Farah Al Mazouni 🇸🇾 🇺🇸
-
0
Heroic or impulsive? Woman helps police in The Hague in dramatic video

Officers were in the midst of chasing a suspect in Den Haag Central, when a bystander jumped into action and pushed the offender, allowing police to take the upper hand. 

In a scene straight out of an action movie, all the drama was caught on tape in a video released by police — check it out below:

The Jan Hendrikstraat police thanked the mystery woman for her brave actions in an official Facebook post. The woman’s assistance led to the suspect’s arrest. 🚨

TV on the ground

Dutch TV producer, Ewout Genemans, who’s currently working with The Hague police on a TV program was at the scene at the time of the incident.

Genemans told RTL Nieuws that he sees more and more bystanders spring into action in his line of work, but he doesn’t personally recommend intervening in the business of law enforcement.

“You can never assess the whole situation. More and more people are walking around with a weapon or a knife, so you have to be careful. Don’t just do this.”

The final verdict

There’s no question that the brave woman helped The Hague police tremendously in this situation. However, while this incident luckily didn’t escalate further, there is no guarantee that things will always sail so smoothly. 🚔

What would you have done if you were in the same situation? Tell us what you think in the comments below!

Feature Image: Screenshot from video/Basisteam Jan Hendrikstraat/Facebook

Heard of Gorinchem? It’s officially the most beautiful fortified town in the Netherlands!

Nicole Ogden 🇹🇭 🇺🇸
-
6
Heard of Gorinchem? It’s officially the most beautiful fortified town in the Netherlands!

Yep, the city of Gorinchem in South Holland was just voted the most beautiful fortified town in the lowlands. Never heard of it before? Well, here’s everything you need to know!

According to a campaign by the Royal Dutch Touring Club (ANWB), Gorinchem —also known as Gorkum — stood out as the most beautiful Dutch fortified town. Fortified towns are known for their characteristic star-shape! ⭐

READ MORE | Gorinchem: the town that mastered flooding as a defence

There are 160 fortified towns in the Netherlands, some of which include Naarden near Amsterdam and Breda in the South of the Netherlands. 

Okay, but what makes it so beautiful?

Situated near Rotterdam, Gorinchem is a historic city founded in the year 1000 CE and fortified in the 13th and 14th centuries. It also hosts the largest, fully intact fort in the Netherlands (woah!). 

However, the city also has a modern vibe to it with beautiful terraces, museums, rivers, and more! All of these things ultimately won the hearts of the ANWB. ❤️

When deciding which fortified city was the real star in the jury’s eyes, they listed a number of reasons:

“Gorinchem is beautifully situated on the spot where the river Linge flows into the Merwede. The ramparts have been beautifully preserved: a green ribbon around the city with knots of chestnuts and plane trees to stroll under and with a view of the surrounding countryside, the river and the many defense works.”

We don’t know about you but we’re sold on this town!

Would you visit Gorinchem or another fortified town? Let us know in the comments below!

It’s official: experts confirm that climate change caused extreme flooding in Limburg

Sarah O'Leary 🇮🇪
-
0
It’s official: experts confirm that climate change caused extreme flooding in Limburg

In July, much of Dutch news was flooded with videos and images of, well, floods. The southern province of Limburg suffered blow after blow when heavy rainfall led to severe flooding in many villages.

In fact, the Dutch government even went so far as to declare the flooding a national disaster. It was the worst flooding the Netherlands had seen in decades.

What caused it? Experts asked themselves the same thing — and now they have the answer: climate change.

An international study

The Netherlands was not the only country to be affected by horrific floods. In fact, other countries suffered far worse consequences. In regions of Germany and Belgium, lives were lost to the severe floods.

The effort to determine what caused such devastation has therefore been an international one. Dutch climate scientists took part in the international study which found that the level of precipitation that occurs during heavy rainfall has risen from 3% to 19%.

How did this contribute to the flooding?

High levels of precipitation in Limburg led to the perfect storm in July of this year. Record-breaking levels of rainfall meant that the soil in the region was already saturated before the flooding.

Combine this with warm air, which absorbs water vapour, and the fact that it lingered so long in the one area — and you have a recipe for disaster.

More intense and frequent precipitation caused by climate change

Sjoukje Philip of the KNMI was one of the Dutch experts to take part in the study. She explains these findings to the NOS, saying “We looked at the precipitation that led to these floods and saw that it has indeed become more intense due to a changing climate.”

She also added that this intense level of precipitation occurs more often due to climate change.

The study compared our current world — one that has seen an increase in temperature of 1.2 degrees since we started emitting greenhouse gasses — to our world before we turned up the heat.

It found that, in our current climate, the chances of such extreme precipitation occurring again have increased by a factor of between 1.2 and — wait for it — 9.

Not just Limburg

Philip also pointed out that while Limburg was the region that suffered this time around, the chances of this happening in other regions of the Netherlands are just as high.

She continues to emphasise the importance of acknowledging the connection between climate change and extreme weather in the Netherlands, saying “it is important that people are realising that extreme weather is caused by climate change and that we need to limit greenhouse gas emissions.”

Have you become aware of the effects of climate change in the Netherlands? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Feature Image: brita.seifert@googlemail.com/Depositphotos

1...497498499...760Page 498 of 760