"'Expats go home': Amsterdam's visitor boom angers locals
MSTERDAM: Dutch politicians gave each other high-fives when they won a contest to host the European Medicines Agency last month, but not everyone in the capital is celebrating the expected influx of highly-paid pharmaceutical experts.
Amsterdam's residents and media, already sick of the numbers of tourists searching out stag-do strip joints on their streets, are increasingly vexed about another group of visitors - white-collar, expatriate workers.
"A Nice Brexit Trophy, But Can The City Handle It?" newspaper NRC Handelsblad said in a headline, referring to the decision to move the regulatory agency from London to Amsterdam after Britain leaves the EU.
The EMA will come with around 900 staff - a wonderful economic boost, according to supporters of the move. Detractors say it's just another group of foreigners with big pay packets driving up rents and property prices.
"Home Buyers Will Pay The Price For Drugs Agency In Amsterdam," said national broadcaster NOS.
On social media, many also mourned the death of the city's free-wheeling and edgy spirit, killed off, they said, by the likes of the EMA's army of bureaucrats."
Of all places u would hv never expected the residnts of Amsterdam to hv a problem with highly paid Expats. No? The Dutch has a fairly high level of affluence n surely should welcome more like them!
Alas, judging by the reported responses, they hv the same concerns as any other countries, developed or otherwise: that Expats can make the Locals who r here long term PAY for higher rent n properties prices!!
When Expats r paid higher, the local may not as their employers may not be able to afford that!!
No one wants to be in thst situation of: pay stagnant while cost living goes up because if some foreigners in town for a short stay!!
Sgp is no different!! The voters revolted in GE2011. Thst got a quick respite fr the government.
Hopefully it will not be an issue again in the next GE slated for 2020 now that the fiasco of SMRT seems to take No. 1 spot for public unhappiness.
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