A dormitory in Amsterdam intended to promote “coexistence” between asylum seekers and local students has faced repeated incidents of violence, sexual assault, and drug-related offenses, yet the municipality has ruled out an early closure. The “Stek Oost” integration project, launched in 2018, now looks set to continue until April 2028.
The 250-resident dormitory house is half allocated to Dutch students and half to asylum seekers. A buddy system was introduced to foster cohesion between the groups. However, reports indicate that violent incidents, including sexual assaults and knife threats, have occurred in shared spaces. In one case, a Syrian resident involved in a sexual offense in 2019 was only removed in 2022 after committing a second sexual offence. He was later imprisoned.
Housing association Stadgenoot, responsible for the facility, requested an action plan from the municipality and police as early as 2019. Despite these warnings and staff threats, the municipality maintained that it could not abruptly displace 250 people.
The dormitory has drawn criticism from political parties including VVD and JA21, as well as councilor Anton van Schijndel of FvD. Even the city’s green mayor, Femke Halsema, acknowledged ongoing issues at the site.
The debate over migrant housing has intensified, following anti-immigration demonstrations last year across the Netherlands. In Houten and Uithoorn, protests against planned asylum shelters escalated into clashes with police, with fireworks and eggs thrown at officers and counter-protesters.
In September, clashes erupted in The Hague at “Elsfest,” a protest demanding stricter asylum laws and an end to mass immigration. A similar rally in Amsterdam in October protested the strain of migration on housing and safety.
