DutchNews.nl - DutchNews.nl brings daily news from The Netherlands in English

20 October 2025
Newsletter Donate Advertise
  • News
  • Life in the Netherlands
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
  • Search
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Election 2025
  • Art and culture
  • Sport
  • Europe
  • Society
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Housing
  • Education
  • News
    • Home
    • Economy
    • Election 2025
    • Art and culture
    • Sport
    • Europe
    • Society
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
    • Education
  • Life in the Netherlands
    • Latest
    • Opinion
    • Books
    • Travel
    • 10 Questions
    • Learning Dutch
    • Inburgering with DN
    • Food & Drink
    • Ask us anything
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
    • Team
    • Donate
    • Advertise
    • Writing for Dutch News
    • Contact us
    • Privacy
    • Newsletter
  • Search

Rotterdam mayor speaks out on ‘hurt’ caused by Wilders’ anti-Moroccan stand

July 27, 2015

aboutaleb rotterdam mayorRotterdam mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb has urged PVV leader Geert Wilders to come clean about how he intends to reduce the size of the Moroccan population in the Netherlands.

Moroccan-born Aboutaleb was speaking on Zomergasten, a summer series of long television interviews with a single guest broadcast on Sunday evening by the VPRO.

During the interview, which pulled in an audience of 800,000, Aboutaleb spoke about his parents’ fears that they will be ordered to leave the Netherlands, and how much this hurts him.

His father worked two jobs so his children could study, Aboutaleb said.

‘But there have to be fewer people like him, not because he has done something wrong but because he is a member of a particular ethnic group,’ the mayor said.

‘So I want to know from Wilders “when are you going to send them back?”.. Wilders has said he is going to organise it. So society has a right to know how he plans to do this.’

Investigation

Wilders is currently under investigation for leading his supporters in an anti-Moroccan chant of ‘fewer fewer fewer’ during the European election campaign last year.

The PVV leader used Twitter to remind Aboutaleb he had already outlined his plans at a press conference in March 2014. Wilders wants limits to immigration from Islamic countries, measures to stimulate voluntary repatriation and the deportation of criminals.

Share this article
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Copy URL
Society
Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation
Latest
Show more
Far right leads the pack with election plans that break the law
Europe at risk of cyberattacks because of “digital dependency”
The big election issues: climate change and the environment
Just dance! Amsterdam Dance Event invites young and old to party
Fewer Brits are moving to NL, and fewer are going home as well
NewsHomeEconomyElection 2025Art and cultureSportEuropeSocietyEnvironmentHealthHousingEducation
Life in the NetherlandsLatestOpinionBooksTravel10 QuestionsLearning DutchInburgering with DNFood & DrinkAsk us anything
About usTeamDonateAdvertiseWriting for Dutch NewsContact usPrivacyNewsletter
© 2025 DutchNews | Cookie settings

Help us to keep providing you with up-to-date news about this month's Dutch general election.

Our thanks to everyone who donates regularly to Dutch News. It costs money to produce our daily news service, our original features and daily newsletters, and we could not do it without you.

If you have not yet made a donation, or did so a while ago, you can do so via these links

The DutchNews.nl team

Donate now

Dutchnews Survey

Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey.

Take part now