Students living at a mixed housing complex in Amsterdam reported years of violence, harassment, and sexual assaults tied to a government-backed refugee integration initiative, according to testimony featured in a recent investigative documentary.
The housing project, known as Stek Oost, opened in 2018 in Amsterdam’s Watergraafsmeer neighborhood. It was promoted as a solution to housing shortages while fostering social cohesion by placing 125 students and 125 refugees in the same complex. Residents were encouraged to form “buddy” relationships to help migrants integrate into Dutch society.
Former residents, however, told the investigative program Zembla that the project quickly became unsafe. Multiple individuals described repeated incidents involving physical attacks, stalking, intimidation, and violent confrontations inside common areas and hallways. Several residents said complaints to authorities and the housing association were ignored or dismissed, even after multiple reports were filed.
One former resident, identified only as Amanda, said she was raped by a Syrian man living at the complex after he repeatedly asked her to visit his room to watch a movie. “He wanted to learn Dutch, to get an education. I wanted to help him,” she told the program.
Amanda said that once inside the room, the man made her uncomfortable and refused to let her leave before sexually assaulting her.
Six months later, another female resident warned the housing association about the same individual, raising concerns for her own safety and that of other women in the building. According to the documentary, local authorities said eviction was legally impossible at the time.
The man was eventually arrested in March 2022. In 2024, he was convicted of raping Amanda and another resident and sentenced to three years in prison, according to GB News.
Other residents described a broader climate of fear. One male resident told Zembla that he was threatened with an eight-inch kitchen knife by a refugee living in the complex. Dutch broadcaster AT5 reported in 2022 that a refugee had been accused of six separate attacks between 2018 and 2021, prompting a prolonged legal effort to remove him from the property.
Carolien de Heer, chair of Amsterdam’s East district, acknowledged the difficulties authorities faced.
“You see unacceptable behaviour, and people get scared. But legally, that's often not enough to remove someone from their home or impose mandatory care,” she said.
The housing association Stadgenoot attempted to close Stek Oost in 2023, but the request was denied by local officials. The complex is now scheduled to shut down when its contract expires in 2028.
The housing project, known as Stek Oost, opened in 2018 in Amsterdam’s Watergraafsmeer neighborhood. It was promoted as a solution to housing shortages while fostering social cohesion by placing 125 students and 125 refugees in the same complex. Residents were encouraged to form “buddy” relationships to help migrants integrate into Dutch society.
Former residents, however, told the investigative program Zembla that the project quickly became unsafe. Multiple individuals described repeated incidents involving physical attacks, stalking, intimidation, and violent confrontations inside common areas and hallways. Several residents said complaints to authorities and the housing association were ignored or dismissed, even after multiple reports were filed.
One former resident, identified only as Amanda, said she was raped by a Syrian man living at the complex after he repeatedly asked her to visit his room to watch a movie. “He wanted to learn Dutch, to get an education. I wanted to help him,” she told the program.
Amanda said that once inside the room, the man made her uncomfortable and refused to let her leave before sexually assaulting her.
Six months later, another female resident warned the housing association about the same individual, raising concerns for her own safety and that of other women in the building. According to the documentary, local authorities said eviction was legally impossible at the time.
The man was eventually arrested in March 2022. In 2024, he was convicted of raping Amanda and another resident and sentenced to three years in prison, according to GB News.
Other residents described a broader climate of fear. One male resident told Zembla that he was threatened with an eight-inch kitchen knife by a refugee living in the complex. Dutch broadcaster AT5 reported in 2022 that a refugee had been accused of six separate attacks between 2018 and 2021, prompting a prolonged legal effort to remove him from the property.
Carolien de Heer, chair of Amsterdam’s East district, acknowledged the difficulties authorities faced.
“You see unacceptable behaviour, and people get scared. But legally, that's often not enough to remove someone from their home or impose mandatory care,” she said.
The housing association Stadgenoot attempted to close Stek Oost in 2023, but the request was denied by local officials. The complex is now scheduled to shut down when its contract expires in 2028.
