Rotterdam and The Hague city councils are introducing extra checks on the accommodation used by migrants on short-term employment contracts, the AD said on Monday.

If they have doubts about the accommodation plans, the councils will not give people a BSN number, so they will not be able to work, the AD said.

In particular, the cities are worried about potential problems caused by large numbers of Romanian and Bulgarian nationals living in overcrowded conditions, the paper said.

Conflict

The plan conflicts with home affairs ministry rules and civil servants have already warned the cities not to go ahead.

‘But this is what we are going to do and the minister will have to tell us it can’t be done and why not,’ Rotterdam alderman Hamit Karakus told the paper.

Romanian and Bulgarian nationals have free movement throughout the European Union from January 1 next year.

Ambassador

Romania’s ambassador to the Netherlands Ireny Comaroschi told television current affairs show Buitenhof on Sunday the Netherlands should not be worried that thousands of Romanians and Bulgarians will come to the country.

There are not many Romanians in the country and not many more will come, she said.

Those that will arrive will be highly-qualified people who are willing to integrate into Dutch society, she said.

A poll earlier this month on behalf of the Socialist Party found 80% of the Dutch think the borders should remain closed.

Watch the interview