Three parties on Amsterdam’s city council have launched an ID scheme for undocumented people living in the capital so they can use services such as healthcare and education.

GroenLinks, the largest party group on the council, unveiled the plan together with minor parties BIJ1 and DENK. An estimated 10,000 people live in the city without being registered.

Registered residents of the city have a Stadspas that enables them to use public facilities such as the library as well as entitling them to discounts on bicycles, courses and sports facilities. The parties say the pass should be available to everyone regardless of their documented status.

GroenLinks said that denying essential services to people living in the city left them vulnerable to exploitation and breached their human rights. ‘They work without a contract as cleaners or in restaurants, live in houses for rents that are too high and are vulnerable to exploitation and abuse,’ said GroenLinks councillor Femke Roosma.

However, the plan is unlikely to gain enough votes in the council to pass. Opposition parties including D66, the VVD and PvdA are opposed either in principle or in practice to the scheme.

D66 councillor and group leader Ranier van Dantzig said on Twitter: ‘Vulnerable people, including those without papers, have a right to basic services (such as a doctor), but a local ID pass for everyone without papers, with these extras, is the wrong way.’

D66 steunt het voorstel in deze vorm niet en er is ook geen meerderheid in de Raad. Kwetsbaren – ook ongedocumenteerden – hebben recht op basale voorzieningen (zoals een dokter), maar een lokale identiteitpas voor alle ongedocumenteerden – met deze extra’s – is de verkeerde weg. https://t.co/2e0GYsTFWb

— Reinier van Dantzig (@RvDantzig) January 23, 2019