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Amsterdam to halve number of city brothels

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Red light district, World news, issues and campaigns, Marie Claire

Amsterdam is set to slash the number of city brothels by half and reduce the number of marijuana cafés under new plans to clean up the city's old town.

To date, the Dutch city has successfully managed a contained red light district and the legalisation of cannabis, however a new scheme will see the popular tourist attraction significantly reduced by city authorities.

The move has surprised locals, given the sedate nature of the sex trade area. However, reports suggest the district is also a hotbed of organised crime.

'There is crime and an infrastructure that is maintained and fed by a host of criminogenic facilities,' said a City of Amsterdam document.

'There are indications that they serve as a cover for money laundering practices,' it said.

While brothels will be significantly reduced, one architect involved with the council's plan said: 'We can still have sex and drugs, but in a way that shows the city is in control.'

It seems the council is set to up the ante across the entire city with a £30 million makeover, intended to attract hotels, restaurants, art galleries and boutiques to the old part of Amsterdam.

However, the plans have not been well-received by certain members of the community. Metje Blaak, a spokeswoman for De Rode Draad organisation which represents 20,000 Dutch prostitutes, said the European Union were to blame for putting pressure on the country to address its liberal policies.

'Once we were a free country. Now they tell us what to do,' she said. 'The women will go on the streets and to the hotels. It is very bad, not least in terms of women's health and safety.'