CDA plans bill to ban squatting: Telegraaf

Friday 02 November 2007

Christian Democrat MPs are poised to introduce a private members’ bill to ban squatting which will be supported by a parliamentary majority, the Telegraaf reports on Friday.

The Liberals (VVD) and anti-immigration PVV have already called for a ban on squatting and now the small religious parties are also in favour, the paper says.

'Squatting used to be idealistic but that has now been overshadowed by international squatters who come here to cause trouble,' ChristenUnie MP Ed Anker told the paper.

His comments follow an incident earlier this week when police officers were confronted with a booby-trapped building as they tried to evict squatters from premises in Amsterdam.

The squatters attached a sensor to a small motor which was designed to pull away a roof support beam and bring down the ceiling when police entered, the Parool reported on Thursday.

CDA and VVD MPs say the squatters who placed the booby trap should be prosecuted for attempted murder.

On Friday the CDA told NOS tv it is fed up with waiting for the cabinet to take action. The previous government also had plans to ban squatting but these never came into effect.

Under current laws, buildings may be legally squatted if they have been empty for more than a year.

Labour is opposed to a ban on squatting saying it is a valuable weapon to stop property owners and local authorities leaving buildings empty.

Squatting was particularly prevalent as a political movement in the 1980s when large numbers of buildings were left empty by property speculators.

© DutchNews.nl

Get the DutchNews.nl newsletter in your mailbox: Click here to subscribe

Print-version

Place your comments: