Amsterdam to clear three squats in spite of ban

Amsterdam to clear three squats in spite of ban

The city of Amsterdam has decided to go ahead with the eviction of squatters from three squats in the capital on Tuesday in spite of an Appeal Court ruling forbidding evictions. The three squats will be cleared on the grounds of a civil law procedure at the request of the owners. Two squats were already cleared on Monday.

Plans to clear five others squats have been abandoned after the Court of Appeal ruled that a new anti-squatting law contravened the European Treaty of Human Rights. The five squats were to be cleared on the grounds of new anti-squatting legislation, which came into force on 1 October.

The Appeal Court ruled earlier today that squatters have no opportunity to contest evictions in court. This is against European human rights.

Up until October, squatting had been legal in the Netherlands under certain conditions. If a building had been empty for over 12 months squatters, had the right to take up residence. The new anti-squatting legislation bans squatting under any circumstances. Squatters face heavy fines or up to a year in prison. If violence is used to avoid arrest or eviction they face a two-year sentence.

The Appeal Court ruling has led to a decision by the Mayor of Amsterdam Eberhard van der Laan to drop evictions based on the new legislation

From: http://www.expatica.com/nl - 08/11/2010