{"id":109049,"date":"2020-02-10T15:37:54","date_gmt":"2020-02-10T14:37:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=109049"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:24:42","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:24:42","slug":"cda-phantom-students-cost-rotterdam-a-pretty-penny","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2020\/02\/10\/cda-phantom-students-cost-rotterdam-a-pretty-penny\/","title":{"rendered":"CDA: \u2018phantom students\u2019 cost Rotterdam a pretty penny"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some 9 percent of the students at EUR haven\u2019t registered as a resident, and the city is missing out on a lot of money as a result. This much becomes clear from a survey conducted last year by Erasmus Magazine. In absolute figures, approximately 2,500 students \u2013 also referred to as \u2018phantom students\u2019 \u2013 are living under the municipal radar.<\/p>\n

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Rotterdam city hall.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRotterdam Partners<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

This week, the local chapter of CDA submitted written questions to the council in response to these findings. \u201cRotterdam has developed into a typical student town. This is something to be proud of,\u201d according to the coalition party.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, the Christian Democrats would like to know what kind of income the municipality is missing out on due to these hidden citizens. They\u2019d also like to hear what the administration can do to encourage students to register, and what the Municipal Executive\u2019s explanation is for why a share of them choose not to. CDA also wonders which measures the Deputy Mayor plans on taking if it turns out the decision not to register has more to do with the students\u2019 landlords than the students themselves.<\/p>\n

Landlords<\/h2>

Christine Zandberg, dual city councillor and spokesperson of CDA Rotterdam, was taken aback by the large percentage of phantom students. \u201cI think it\u2019s a major problem, particularly when you consider students\u2019 safety. It\u2019s important that we know how many people live in our city. And a situation where landlords can withhold tenants from registering with the Municipality is undesirable.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the time being, Zandberg isn\u2019t sure which steps the local administration can take to remedy this problem. \u201cWe want to start by gaining an idea of how large this group is. After that, we want to think about how we can best bring this to students\u2019 attention and encourage them to register.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fire safety<\/h2>

Because not registering as a Rotterdam resident has its drawbacks. Practically speaking, students won\u2019t be able to apply for a passport or driving licence, nor can they vote in the city\u2019s municipal elections. In addition, notes CDA, the municipality has a duty of care versus its citizens.<\/p>\n

Because it\u2019s \u2018of vital importance\u2019 for fire safety and emergency assistance that the responders know how many people actually live at a specific address. And financial considerations also play a role for the Municipality. Because the Netherlands\u2019 municipal funding system pays Rotterdam a standard amount for every citizen registered. In other words, when students refrain from registering, the Municipality actually gets less money than it should.<\/p>\n

Utrecht and Leiden<\/h2>

Incidentally, Rotterdam probably isn\u2019t the only municipality battling the issue of phantom students. Utrecht, for example, is supposedly cheated of millions of euros<\/a>\u00a0due to the 2,500-3,000 local students who haven\u2019t registered there, and Leiden is looking at some 1.8 million<\/a> in missed income.<\/p>\n

Erasmus Magazine sent the results of its poll to a number of parties in November 2019. Apart from CDA, they were GroenLinks, VVD and D66.<\/p>\n\n\t

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De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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