Several Dutch local authorities have warned homeless mothers that their children may be taken away if they request emergency shelter, according to an investigation by Investico for Trouw and De Groene Amsterdammer.

Lawyers and support workers told researchers the issue is most common in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Almere, but also occurs in at least six other areas, including The Hague and Groningen.

At local homeless shelter intake desks, mothers are reportedly told that a report will be filed with Veilig Thuis, the domestic abuse and child protection agency, if they do not leave or cannot find accommodation on their own. One woman in Rotterdam said she was told “if we see you on the street, we will take your child.”

Investico interviewed six women who said they were turned away like this. Their accounts were supported by 23 lawyers, aid workers and local ombudsmen.

Separating a child and mother solely because they are homeless is unlawful, said Joost Huijer, a child rights expert at Utrecht University. “Councils must do everything they can to keep the family together.”

The threats primarily affect two groups: non-Dutch mothers whose children have Dutch nationality and who hold a residence permit, and Dutch women who return from abroad and become homeless.

In almost all cases, the women are of colour. Councils view them as a “problem group” placing too much demand on scarce emergency housing, according to court rulings, internal documents and personal files seen by Investico.

Amsterdam, for example, told a Ghanaian mother last year that the city’s shelters were not intended for “families from outside Amsterdam or outside the Netherlands”.

Files examined by Investico also show that councils sometimes propose placing children in foster care while the mother receives no help — a suggestion that would separate families.

Veilig Thuis has criticised councils for using its name to deter mothers from seeking help. “It is extremely harmful to shift a homelessness problem into the realm of child abuse or domestic violence,” the agency said. “If people are at risk of becoming homeless, we must solve that with housing. Veilig Thuis has no role in this.”