Anti-immigration rally in Amsterdam highlights deep divisions ahead of Dutch election

More than a thousand anti-immigration protesters have gathered in Amsterdam ahead of the Netherlands’ upcoming general election. Despite a 40 percent decline in refugee arrivals this year, immigration remains a deeply divisive issue. Demonstrators voiced concerns over housing shortages, with some claiming that policies favouring refugees leave local residents disadvantaged.
Others criticised the rhetoric in Dutch politics, warning that the increasing normalisation of anti-immigration language in parliament fuels fear, hate, and violence on the streets. Organisers of the rally insisted they are neither racist nor extremist but want their grievances addressed. The protest reflects broader tensions in a country grappling with housing crises and shifting political attitudes towards migration.

Al Jazeera’s Step Vaessen reports from Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

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