Mayor Halsema: homeless foreign crack addicts may be repatriated more often

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema has proposed scaling up the voluntary repatriation of homeless foreign drug users, particularly Eastern European migrants, to address the city's growing crack cocaine problem. She noted that the increase in crack use is causing significant public nuisance and is harder to manage than heroin due to a lack of pharmaceutical substitutes. While some repatriation already occurs, the mayor emphasized that the process must remain voluntary for individuals to help reduce the strain on local public health resources.