A four-month-old baby has been injured and hospitalised after a firework landed in its pram.
On Saturday around 1:15 PM, three children were setting off fireworks in the Willem van Heesstraat in Breda. A couple walked past with a pram and one of the fireworks landed inside and exploded.
The baby boy is now being treated for injuries in the burns centre in Rotterdam.
According to police, the fireworks being set off were in category 1, meaning specific “children’s fireworks.” These are available for sale year-round.
An accident
The mother of the children (a 12-year old and two four-year-olds) who set off the fireworks says the children had her permission. She tells Omroep Brabant it was “really an accident.”
The children had just thrown up another spinner further than intended before they saw the couple approaching.
The baby’s mother picked up the still-burning firework from the pram with her bare hands and threw it out. The parents then immediately called 112.
The children were very shocked by the accident and have barely slept, says the mother. She is worried about them, but more about the baby who was injured.
Police continue to investigate the incident. The mother of the children is in contact with the parents of the baby and has offered to help.
Do you think children be allowed to play with fireworks? Let us know in the comments.
Tighter coronavirus measures are in the making for the Netherlands. Inside sources have told RTL Nieuws that new restrictions will include a further limit on outside group sizes from four to two, and the closure of museums, cinemas, and theatres.
The measures were discussed yesterday during an informal meeting among ministers at the Cathuis, the official residence of the Prime Minister. Details are to be worked out today and the final decision will be announced during Tuesday night’s press conference.
Stricter measures
The new restrictions will be in addition to the current measures and are expected to last two weeks, taking effect from Thursday.
The government is also discussing whether stricter measures may be taken regionally, such as a curfew or full lockdown.
Not all agree
The decision has not come lightly. While Prime Minister Rutte, Health Minister De Jonge, and Public Health Minster Van Arkel have proposed a two-week closure of the country, other officials are in opposition. Minsters Hoekstra, Grapperaus and Ollongren say the measures are going too far.
Do you think stricter measures are necessary? Let us know in the comments.
Healthcare organizations in the Netherlands are making an urgent call for extra hands to ease the pressure on the health system.
“The situation is not tenable for much longer,” a spokesperson for elderly care ActiZ tells AD. The healthcare industry is pleading for people with and without a healthcare background to register to work during the crisis. Students studying medicine or nursing are also urged to get involved.
Those who haven’t been in the industry recently, or who have no experience in healthcare, can take a one-week crash course designed to teach them essential skills to work in the industry.
However, in the second wave, there is much less enthusiasm, a spokesperson tells AD. “Between March and June, we introduced nearly 8,000 people to a healthcare organization. Only about 2,500 people this autumn indicated that they are available.”
Healthcare organizations hope that staff from industries that are struggling, such as hotels, catering, and travel, will register to help.
“All support is welcome”
Moral support from society has also faded since the first wave, says Hans Huizer, chairman of the board of the Rotterdam elderly care organization Laurens.
“Our nursing homes were overloaded with fruit baskets, cakes and performances,” he tells AD. “Now it is quiet, right when our employees need all the support. Tired of fighting, they are at the front every day to fight this crisis for all of us. Right now, all support is welcome.”
What do you think of this initiative? Tell us in the comments below!
The CDA (Christian Democratic Appeal) is pushing for one in four of all new homes built in the Netherlands to be intended for home seekers under the age of 35, whom the Dutch refer to as “starters.” This would amount to 250,000 new affordable homes in the next 10 years.
The starters would be required to live in the house themselves and can only sell the house for a profit after five years, reports RTL Nieuws. They would also receive a €50,000 low-interest loan which would allow for a lower mortgage.
The new houses would have total price caps at €310,000. It’s being investigated whether that can be even lower in areas with higher pressure housing markets.
Less control for municipalities
The plan will need to be implemented by a minister of housing, and be included in the National Housing Plan. This will force municipalities to give up the power to decide which type of housing may be built where. They will be obliged to ensure that a quarter of all new housing is categorised as affordable.
The CDA may also push for the National Housing Plan to include more mid-range rental homes with a rent of up to around €1000 per month.
Would you be interested in buying one of these affordable homes? Let us know in the comments.
This week, Prime Minister Rutte will officially announce his decision to continue on as the VVD party leader. The news comes as no surprise.
Rutte’s popularity has been strong in the last few years, and his leadership of the Netherlands through the corona crisis has been particularly praised. The VVD continues to dominate the polls, so it is very likely that Rutte will continue as Prime Minister for another four years, reports RTL Nieuws.
Limited options
VVD members encouraged Rutte before the summer to continue with leadership of the party, but initially Rutte was hesitant to make a decision. He expressed that he would decide a few months before the next elections.
Klaas Dijkhoff, who would have taken over from Rutte, announced recently that he would not be returning to the party after the new elections. This left few suitable candidates to take Rutte’s place.
Rutte’s track record
Rutte has led the VVD for over fourteen years now, and has been Prime Minister of the Netherlands since 2010. If you’re wondering, the Netherlands does not have a cap on how long a Prime Minister can be in office for.
His popularity thus goes back a long time, and he has proven himself a reliable leader in the eyes of many Dutch. Fellow politicians value his experience. Should he win the next elections, Rutte will surpass former CDA Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers as the longest serving Dutch Prime Minister since the end of the war.
What do you make of Rutte running for office again? Let us know in the comments.
Following Wednesday night’s report of a fatal attack against an elderly man, five boys have been arrested. The group consists of one 18-year-old and four underage boys.
At approximately 9:15 PM on Wednesday night in Arnhem, an elderly man (73) was beaten so badly that he had to be resuscitated on scene. The man later died from his injuries. The assailants fled the scene after the attack.
Police released an appeal through Burgernet asking for help finding five youths, all in black apart from one, who wore a white hoodie. The police tweeted that almost 6,000 people had reached out to help.
Suspects arrested
By Thursday morning, the police had been unable to locate the assailants. The Mayor of Arnhem, Ahmend Marcouch, made an appeal to the attackers on Twitter, asking that they report to the police.
“Terrible for the next of kin and very bad for the whole of Arnhem. The only thing the perpetrators can do is report themselves.”
It has not been disclosed whether or not the assailants turned themselves in. However, Marcouch later announced that the police had arrested five suspects, the NOS reports.
Four underage suspects
The suspects consist of one 18-year-old man and four underage boys from the regions of Rozendaal, Westervoort, and Arnhem.
Mayor Marcouch took to Twitter once more to describe the situation as “even more tragic than it already is” given the fact that four of the suspects are underage. For now, the suspects are being questioned by police.
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I say that with a small, proud smile, even though in reality I’ve completed one Dutch course that is apparently below the A1 level. So maybe I’m at A0.
For a language-lover like myself though, moving to the Netherlands for the first time whilst learning to speak Dutch is a great opportunity. After all, doesn’t everyone say it’s easy to learn a language when you live in the place; when you have no option but to learn the language?
Yet, one thing I often hear as an expat living in Amsterdam is that “It’s hard to get people to speak Dutch to you because everyone in the Netherlands speaks English.”
I don’t dispute it. Us English-speaking expats are spoilt with the knowledge that should we walk into a shop or cafe and place an order in English it will be easily understood; no Google Translate or hand gesticulation mimicking drinking a cup of coffee, necessary.
Having taken a beginner Dutch course though, I try my best to speak some Dutch where I can. Ironically the problem actually comes when I do try and order in Dutch.
Sorry… what?
“Mag ik een latte macchiato met kokosmelk alstublieft.” The spell is cast; the Dutch rolls off my tongue and I have a glowing feeling of belonging. Pretty soon I’ll also be eating bread with butter and hagelslag for lunch, I think to myself with a chuckle.
But then the barista, naturally assuming I speak Dutch, responds to me with a long comment/question/ statement which I don’t understand. I stand there, blinking like a deer caught in the headlights, frantically trying to think if there’s a single word in his comment/ question/ statement that I recognise.
What is the right response!? It’s not even one of those situations where someone has repeated themselves so many times that you just smile or laugh and hope that passes as an appropriate response. The barista could be telling me they’re no longer serving coffee and responding with a generic smile or laugh would be awkward.
Eventually, though, I have to admit defeat: “Errrm…sorry?” I ask with an apologetic smile. The illusion is shattered. He realises I’m a native English speaker, disappointedly says: “Ah, English,” and repeats his question in English for my understanding. I take my coffee, find a seat and ponder the small, everyday changes that accompany this new life in the Netherlands.
Gambling with groceries as a new expat
When moving from a country where English is the main language, the last thing you’re expecting to struggle with is grocery shopping. I remember confidently walking into an Albert Heijn in my first week in the Netherlands, thinking I’ll probably make an easy pasta for dinner that night with my ultimate favourite vegetable: mushrooms.
Until I realised I don’t know what the difference is between “Paddenstoelen” and “Champignon’s”. Or that I actually had no idea what was in the pasta sauce I wanted to buy because the ingredients are listed in Dutch… Dinner that night was a tasty gamble.
I can look back and laugh now because it’s just so easy to get it wrong. I have a friend who mistakenly bought body cream when all he really wanted was a shower gel. I’ve erroneously bought buttermilk (karne melk) before thinking it was fat-free milk (magere melk).
Another time I mistakenly purchased some sort of cottage cheese yoghurt (hutten kwark), thinking it was normal yoghurt, on my way to work — needless to say I skipped breakfast that day.
Oh, the precious euros wasted on trying to understand local products!
Dutch people will speak English where they can, but your day-to-day lifestyle aspects will not be in English. Bills and community notifications, the receipts you’ll need to be able to return those guilty purchases from De Bijenkorf, the comforting blurb explaining all the benefits of that health food you just splurged on, and the automated part of a telephone call you make to an institution that tells you to “Press 1 for English” — in Dutch.
But we love the challenge…
The challenge keeps things interesting though; the mistakes too, are hilarious when you think about it. What unknown product will I mistakenly purchase tonight? Which operator will answer my call and will I be redirected correctly or berated for choosing the wrong option? Which Dutch word will I realise I don’t truly understand, but from now on will never forget?
It’s more of a learning experience if you will. An opportunity for growth through making (costly) mistakes- After all, how does that Instagrammable saying go? “If you aren’t learning, you aren’t growing!”
What were your experiences when moving to the Netherlands for the first time? Let us know in the comments.
Feature Image: Chait Goli/Pexels
Editor’s Note: this article was originally published in February 2019, but was updated in October 2020 for your reading pleasure.
A vicious attack on churchgoers in Nice, presumably by an Islamic extremist, has sent shockwaves through international news and the Dutch cabinet alike.
Prime Minister Rutte expressed his support to the French, saying, “Our thoughts go out to the next of kin. And we say to the French people: you are not alone in the fight against extremism. The Netherlands is beside you.”
Pour la deuxième fois en peu de temps, la France est touchée par un abominable acte terroriste, cette fois à Nice. Nos pensées vont aux proches des victimes. À nos amis français nous disons : vous n’êtes pas seuls dans le combat contre l’extrémisme, les Pays-Bas sont à vos côtés.
Likewise, other members of cabinet were shocked by the violent incident, reports NOS. “Horrific! For the second time in a short time innocent civilians in France brutally butchered, this time at a church in Nice. This strengthens our determination in the fight against Islamic terrorism,” SGP leader Van der Staaij said.
“My mind dwells on the hatred and killer desire of this Islamic terrorist,” said Minister Kaag.
Mijn verstand staat stil bij de haat en gruwelijke moordlust van deze islamistische terrorist.
Mijn gedachten zijn bij de Fransen. Bij de stad Nice die vier jaar geleden ook al zo’n terreurklap kreeg.
In Europa staan we samen voor onze vrije samenleving.
The killings in Nice come shortly after an attack on a French teacher who was beheaded earlier this month. The terrorist threat level is now on high alert in France, and President Macron has promised to tighten security against such extremism, reports BBC News.
The Netherlands stands with France in fighting this kind of terror, but Dutch politicians warn that such attacks could potentially happen in the Netherlands too. National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security (NCTV) Pieter-Jaap Aaldersberg has emphasised the need for the Dutch to stay alert.
“Whatever your background, color or religion, let’s unite against this barbarism,” SP leader Marijnissen said.
Meanwhile, the attacks threaten to further polarize political debates on diversity in the Netherlands. PVV leader Wilders commented, “As long as we do not stop Islam and all violent Islamo fascists do not expel our country, these kinds of barbaric acts will continue to take place.”
Thinking about making the big leap to the land of tall people? Well then! You’re going to need several important documents to take with you.
Emigrating is more than just a quick pack of the suitcase, and you’re off. Without the right documents, your move can swiftly become an absolute nightmare.
Don’t worry, we’re here to help you out! We’ve comprised a list of the 10 most essential documents you need to check off before your big move.
1. The humble passport
The number one rule for any casual traveller? Always bring proof of identification, or you’ll simply end up facing the wrath of Murphy’s Law.
When thinking about what to bring upon your move to the Netherlands, your trusty passport is by far the most important piece of documentation.
Of course, if you’re a Brit or live anywhere outside the EU, this will be an impossible task to forget. However, if you’re one of those people who can travel on a regular government ID card, you’ll have no luck moving to the lowlands with just that.
This also goes for if you wanted to leave the Netherlands to holiday elsewhere — if it’s outside of the EU, a passport will be needed. So, all in all: just don’t forget it! 🙂
What would I need the humble passport passport for?
Essentially, you’ll need a passport at hand when you first register at an address in the Netherlands.
Without registration, you’re not able to do simple tasks like opening a bank account, paying your rent and bills, and even working legally.
And as all basic, worldly law enforcements go, it’s also a legal requirement in the Netherlands to carry an ID around with you at all times.
If you don’t have your ID card, you’ll need a passport as proof of identification, or you face a feisty, nasty fine (and possible detainment if you don’t comply 😬).
Listen to your mother when she says, “don’t forget your passport!” Image: Depositphotos
2. The almighty house contract
Found a place to stay prior to moving to the Netherlands? Congrats! That makes you one in a million these days. Your rental contract is another essential item to stash in your travel bag.
Not only does it serve as legal proof that you have a place to rent in the Netherlands (which is helemaal important for your local municipality to know), but it’s also used for other people and organisations.
What purpose does the almighty rental house contract serve?
When you register at your local municipality, you’ll need a copy of your signed rental contract on standby in order for Dutch officials to grant you that seal of approval to live in the lowlands.
Similar to having a passport, you can’t open a bank account nor do simple tasks such as pay bills, get health insurance, and even vote if you don’t have a rental house contract.
You need to register to receive your BSN in order to do these things.
Mom: Got your housing contract? “Check!” Image: Depositphotos
3. The loyal educational certificate
Upon your big move to the Netherlands, your certificates proving your educational level are pretty important. They serve as evidence of what courses you’ve taken in the past, and the degrees you’ve obtained.
As a student, you’ll likely come across an instance where you need to show these — and to request copies of it from the educational institution is also a bit on the dear side (price-wise).
So, we suggest preparing them before your move and keeping them safe!
What would I need my loyal education certificate for?
If you apply for a course in the Netherlands, especially at a university, you’ll be required to show your certificates.
This is to prove that you obtained the required level of education by the educational program before you start it.
Albeit rare, if you apply for a job in the Netherlands, they might also just ask you for the certificates, especially if it’s a job that requires a certain degree or training course. So be sure to keep them at hand just in case!
Got a graduation degree? Pack it in your suitcase! Image: Depositphotos
This is of utmost importance because it basically provides all you need (apart from your student card) to prove that you’re a student in the Netherlands.
What would I need my beloved university enrollment letter for?
There are plenty of things you’ll need this letter for, especially if you’re a student.
Health insurance is a big one, as you’ll be entitled to cheaper student insurance if you go through a student-specified health insurer.
Another good reason to have the letter at hand is so that you can open your very own student bank account! Trust us when we say those extra simple savings can truly make your student life a tad bit easier.
You might also need to show it when you register at your local muncipality and need to provide a reason for your stay in the lowlands.
5. The spicy work contract
If you have managed to find work before coming to the Netherlands (or maybe that’s solely why you are coming to the Netherlands), then you need to remember to take the contract with you.
It’s always worth having a signed copy and it also makes the moving process way easier.
What would I need my spicy work contract for?
Firstly, it’s important to have the work contract at hand if any issues come up with work and they need to be addressed via the contract terms.
If you are renting or buying a property in the Netherlands, 9 times out of 10 you’ll have to prove your income through a work contract or pay slips, so they can ensure that you can afford the rent.
For this reason, it is paramount that you have it, or you’ll unforunately face an impossible task of finding somewhere to live (as if that’s not hard enough).
Want to buy or rent a property in the Netherlands? You’ll need this bad boy! Image: Unsplash
6. Your friendly birth certification (with an apostille)
Ah, here comes that part of your day where you have to dig up that crusty, dusty birth certificate lying somewhere under a pile of papers in your closet, attic, or basement.
This document needs to make its way to the Netherlands with you! Why? Because it helps the process of registration here! (Make sure that it’s the original document and not a photocopy.)
Why would I need my friendly birth certificate?
In many situations, this birth certificate will need an apostille, which means it is officially legalised.
The Netherlands legalises foreign documents by adding a stamp or sticker called an ‘apostille’. It shows that the signature on your document is genuine.
With an apostille you can use your Dutch documents in any country that is a member of the Apostille Convention.
It’s better if you do this before you leave for the Netherlands as it will end up delaying your registration, and might cost you to send it backwards and forwards from your home country. (Who want’s that hassle? 🙄)
Be warned though: getting your birth certificate with an apostille will still cost you regardless of where you have it done.
You can also still register without it being legalised, but you have to return within a set period with an apostille, so your registration is complete. Helaas, if you fail to do this, you won’t be legally registered.
7. Your precious medical records
Having your medical records is a massive help when it comes to continuing a treatment in the Netherlands, rather than your own country.
Why would I need my precious medical records?
If you have a complex physical condition or even a mental illness, your medical records can save your new Dutch doctor loads of time by informing them of any surgeries or other major treatments that you may have had over the course of your adult life.
Especially if it’s been ongoing for a long period of time and you may have forgotten what some of your treatments were.
Dutch doctor: “Heh heh! These medical records save me some time. Now here’s a paracetamol.” Image: Depositphotos
As we’re all still living in the midst of a pandemic, it’s also good to have a record of your past vaccines on hand, as you never know when you’ll need them again… (*cough* QR code *cough*)
8. Your trusty EHIC card
Before you come to the Netherlands, it’s really important to get your EHIC card sorted.
Wondering what the heck an EHIC card is? Let us brief you.
It’s a free card that gives you access to medically necessary, state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in any of the 27 EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland or the United Kingdom.
The card is valid under the same conditions and at the same cost (free in some countries) as people insured in that country.
Why would I need my trusty EHIC card?
Basically, if you fall ill in the Netherlands, your EHIC card will protect you.
You’ll essentially be covered for medical bills before you start working and before you have to take out Dutch health insurance.
If you aren’t applicable for it, make sure your home insurance covers you until you can buy health insurance here.
Mom: “Make sure to take your EHIC card with you!” You: “What the heck is that Mom?!” Image: Antoine FLEURY-GOBERT/Wikimedia Commons/CC3.0
9. Marriage certificates/divorce certificates (even death certificates if applicable — with apostille)
To register a foreign marriage or divorce, you will need the documents to prove it. These must be up-to-date documents, and come with an apostille.
With that being said, it’s an echt goede idee to get this sorted out before you leave for the Netherlands.
Why would I need these certificates?
For a marriage to be considered legal within the Netherlands, you need to prove that you were married outside of the country.
This is important, not just for tax reasons, but because, of course, you’d want to be recognised as a person who’s married. In order to do this, you must prove it (and have the document legalised).
10. Your nifty resume
At last, upon your move to the Netherlands, it’s a necessity that bring your fabulous, brilliant resume along for the ride. You know… that one-page piece of paper flaunting the list of things you probably never want to do again? 🤔
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step…or resume. Image: Depositphotos
Your resume provides you and your employer with all the good ol’ information about yourself that you’ll need in order to land a job here.
Therefore, it’s important not to leave it at home or on an old computer.
Why would I need my nifty resume?
Well, this is obvious. If you want a job, you’re going to need a resume.
Of course, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if you didn’t take it with you, but you’ll have the horrible task of having to rewrite everything out again!
Phew! So many things to consider in so little time. 😅
The big leap doesn’t have to be a scary one. So long as you have your 10 essential travel documents, the Netherlands will welcome you with open arms (and some cheese too). Veel geluk! 🙌
Have we missed anything else on what to bring when moving to the Netherlands? Let us know in the comments!
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in August 2018, and was fully updated in August 2022 for your reading pleasure.
Dutch political parties GroenLinks and the Party for the Animals (PvdD) have made a renewed push for a temporary fireworks ban this year. Party leaders argue that hospitals, already pushed to breaking point by the coronavirus crisis, could become further overburdened by fireworks victims.
Over 1,300 fireworks victims reported to hospitals or their GPs last year, according to research by VeiligheidNL. Of these, 385 required emergency care. Half of all victims were under the age of 20. More than half of the people injured this year didn’t even light the fireworks themselves.
“Do you accept that you will have hundreds more victims, while ambulances are already driving in circles because some hospitals no longer have a place at the emergency department?” asks Esther Ouwehand, leader of the Party for the Animals.
“If we now see how high the pressure is at hospitals and emergency care, but also enforcement at the police and municipality enforcement officers, then we must act now,” leader of Groenlinks, Jesse Klaver tells Nu.nl.
A fiery history
The Netherlands’ lax laws around fireworks regularly come as a surprise to expats and tourists in the country. Fireworks are readily available for purchase, and children as young as 16 can purchase the full variety of consumer fireworks.
Teenagers often pull pranks like stuffing fireworks into people’s mailboxes or mail slots in their door. It’s not uncommon for homeowners to prepare and tape off their mail slots in advance.
It’s just as bad as it sounds. A father (39) and his son (4) died in an elevator last year after two teenage boys, aged 12 and 13, lit fireworks that started a fire in the apartment building. Police officers have been assaulted, and an elderly man was beaten up last year after asking a group of teenagers to take their fireworks elsewhere.
The situation looked like it may improve this year when the cabinet imposed a partial fireworks ban from next New Year’s Eve. The ban stops the sale of larger-scale pyrotechnics — but Groenlinks and PvdD argue that it’s not enough. Ouwehand says that research indicates that decorative fireworks are the culprit in 55% of accidents.
Boas and emergency care on board
The push for a fireworks ban is backed by the Dutch Association of Emergency Care Arsten (NVSHA) and the association of municipality enforcement officers (Nederlandse BOA Bond). Chairman of the NVSHA, Annemarie van der Velden, says that even if the current corona measures start to work hospitals will still be busy in the coming months.
Additionally, while New Years Eve each year always requires extra staffing, this year will be additionally difficult, says Van der Velden. This is because hospital staff risk becoming infected with coronavirus and requiring time off.
On the municipality enforcement side, Ruud Kuin of the Dutch BOA Bond says that boas are already very busy enforcing coronavirus measures. He says that a partial fireworks ban is even more work, because it is difficult to confirm whether fireworks are legal or illegal. “A total ban eases our work and also makes it safer for our enforcers.”
Will the motion pass?
After years of GroenLinks and PvdD pushing for a fireworks ban, they finally believe that the majority of the House will join them this afternoon when the topic comes up for discussion.
Do you support a fireworks ban in the Netherlands? Tell us in the comments below!
