Unrest caused by ‘tsunami’ to Belgians in Putte, the Netherlands? ‘Without them we don’t exist’

In Putte they have nothing against Belgians. On the contrary. “We are a bit more social and always say ‘hello neighbor’ or ‘hello neighbor’. They don’t do that, but otherwise they are very nice people.” And in Putte they can know that, because the place is divided by the Belgian-Dutch border. We make the crossing on a sunny afternoon: in the Flemish part we pass a chip shop, a Delhaize and a café, but a little further north we come across a cafeteria, a Jumbo and a pub.

“We are happy with all the Belgians who come here,” says the staff at the thrift store, a few hundred meters across the border. And with the necessary self-mockery: “At least they spend money, while the Dutch are always so frugal.”

The number of Belgians who settle here is remarkably large. About five hundred have attempted the crossing in the past five years. They therefore account for a third of the approximately 4,000 inhabitants of the North Brabant part of the village. The reason for this – despite all the jokes about stingy Dutch people – is money. In the Netherlands it is easier to take out a mortgage. There, buyers have to put in about five percent of their own money, while in our country this amounts to about twenty percent. This is especially attractive for young buyers, who do not need large starting capital in the Netherlands. Moreover, the mortgage interest of our northern neighbors is tax deductible.

For those who already live close to the border, these kinds of advantages can be the deciding factor. It is not even necessary to change schools or sports clubs. And many Belgians who migrate do not do that, to the dismay of some of the Dutch residents of the village. As long as the migrants’ lives and work mainly take place on the other side of the border, they fear for the social facilities of their part of the village.

“We used to have a large tennis club,” explains village resident Ireen. “The number of members has now shrunk. And while our primary school is struggling, the classes in Belgisch Putte are overcrowded.” That does not mean that the arrival of the Belgians is undesirable. “They are absolutely welcome here,” Ireen emphasizes. “But please join us a little and don’t let the village deteriorate. Otherwise, two separate worlds will arise.”

Belgian clientele

The subject is clearly alive in the border village. As soon as I introduce myself as a journalist, people know what I am there for. “You want to know something about all those Belgians here.” After previous reporting from Gazette of Antwerp and the Dutch public broadcaster, de NOS, Some villagers feel almost a bit concerned about the ‘deluge’ and ‘tsunami’ of Belgians.

“I don’t like it towards those people,” says Josephus. “It is now as if we are not open to the Belgians, but that is not the case at all. A Putte without them does not exist, because all entrepreneurs are dependent on Belgian customers.”

The media attention even prompted the local gift shop to post on Facebook. They oppose the “recent negativity about Belgians in Putte”. “As a border village, we experience many benefits of a diverse community, for both Belgian and Dutch residents.”

Belgian Hilde, who has been living in Putte for two years, also sees advantages. It is logical that the social life of Belgians continues to take place partly on the other side of the border. “But don’t the Dutch also benefit from Belgium by going shopping in Antwerp, for example? And what about Brasschaat, where many wealthy Dutch people go to live?”

“But,” she concludes conciliatingly, “there is already enough misery in the world. So let’s not make this too big and try to agree as best as possible as Belgians and Dutch.”