Almere Extends City Centre Assembly Ban for One Year

Overview

• The municipality renewed the temporary samenscholingsverbod for Almere Stad centre for one year, keeping it in force until 24 August 2027, a decision announced on Thursday and confirmed by the mayor's office.
• The ban was first introduced on 24 February 2026 after local authorities reported rising nuisance, intimidation, drug‑related activity and repeated public‑order disturbances in the city centre.
• A joint evaluation by the municipality, local police, care partners and business owners concluded the measure helped police act faster and made parts of the centre noticeably calmer.
• Police say they used the rule at 13 separate moments to check more than 100 people, issue 56 fines and arrest two people who refused orders to leave, while the municipality stresses the ban does not criminalize peaceful group gatherings that do not disturb order.
• Human‑rights groups and legal experts remain critical, with Amnesty warning of risks of ethnic profiling and a law professor calling the measure disproportionate, and officials say the rule is temporary and will be reviewed and reported to the council before it expires.