An Amsterdam couple who spent nearly eighteen months living in a temporary caravan can return to their trailer home in Nieuw-West after a judge ruled that their eviction was disproportionate.
Dieneke and her husband Hans were evicted after police raided their trailer on Ma Braunpad in April 2025, discovering firearms, illegal fireworks, and drugs hidden inside the home.
Eviction set aside by court
The couple was initially arrested and spent weeks in custody, but prosecutors later dropped charges against Dieneke, while Hans was acquitted. Their son admitted to hiding the illegal items without his parents’ knowledge and was convicted in a separate criminal trial.
Despite the acquittal, the City of Amsterdam terminated Dieneke’s rental agreement, which she had held since 1996, and ordered the property cleared.
Mayor Femke Halsema had previously closed the site temporarily to prevent criminal activity, leading to the decision by municipal officials to cancel the lease entirely.
Severe impact on daily life
While the court acknowledged that the city acted within its legal rights when taking action, it ruled that terminating the lease went too far given the specific circumstances.
The judge highlighted that losing their home caused irreversible damage to the couple’s family life, social network, and cultural identity, especially since finding another site for a trailer in the city is nearly impossible.
The court denied a claim for damages against the municipality because the city’s actions were technically lawful, though the local government was ordered to pay approximately €750 in legal fees.
Hans and Dieneke, who had been living without basic amenities like an indoor toilet in their temporary accommodation, are now preparing to move back into their permanent home.
