Structural Deficits? in a French City

 I have already written about the French region of Grand Est as one of the places in France that made a good impression on me, based partly on my own experiences. I generally do not like writing about places I do not know personally, but this time I decided to take a closer look at another part of France — a city that is discussed exceptionally often in connection with violence, drugs, and organized crime: Marseille. I also considered how certain policies could further exacerbate these problems.

Marseille and Strasbourg, for instance, show how dramatically different cities of the same country can be, and even how different parts of a single French city can be from one another.

 Marseille: A Once-Thriving City and Its Decline

 

 Marseille is a city of contrasts. Once a prosperous Mediterranean metropolis with one of Europe’s most important ports, extensive trade, industry, and a seaside resort, it is now often associated with poverty, drug trafficking, gangs, and violence.

In some categories of violent crime, Marseille genuinely reaches the very top of French statistics, and even among the highest levels recorded in the European Union. In its report on the drug trade, the French Senate stated that in 2023 Marseille ranked first among the French cities examined in the number of murders and attempted murders committed within criminal circles.

However, Marseille does not appear to be a city where every part of its urban space is equally dangerous or socially troubled.

In the south of Marseille are beaches, the coastline, villa districts, parks, and areas that resemble a classic Mediterranean metropolis. In the north, by contrast, some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods, social problems, drug markets, and violence are concentrated.

 This difference is not accidental.

During the second half of the 20th century, Marseille underwent a major economic transformation. The decline of parts of traditional industry, changes in the port economy, the end of the colonial era, and subsequent migration patterns significantly transformed the city’s social and spatial structure.

The Marseille itself states that the second half of the 20th century saw the erosion of industry and port activity, with a significant share of port operations shifting toward Fos-sur-Mer and Étang de Berre—it’s shifting approximately 50 km from Marseille.

Large residential complexes emerged on the outskirts of Marseille, concentrating disadvantaged or newly arrived populations with lower incomes. Over time, this created a very pronounced difference between some of the southern and northern parts of the city.

According to INSEE (Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques), Marseille had a total population of 877,215 in 2022. Of these, 141,554 people were classified as immigrants, meaning people born abroad regardless of their current citizenship. This represented 16.1% of the population. There were 104,141 foreign nationals, or 11.9%. Overall, this means that roughly one third of the city’s population has a foreign-born or foreign-national background when these categories are considered together.

The figure of 16.1% also does not represent the share of everyone with an immigrant background. For example, it does not include people born in France whose parents were born abroad. The actual number of residents with an immigrant background is therefore higher.

Marseille also is not a city that visitors have abandoned either. The official tourism office reports approximately 5 million visitors per year. Tourists are predominantly French — around 70% — while international visitors account for roughly 30%. In 2025, the destination recorded more than 19.9 million tourist overnight stays. These figures refer to the Marseille destination as a whole, not only to its southern coastal areas. 

Algeria is by far the largest international source market for tourist overnight stays in Marseille, accounting for 24% of all international overnight stays, or approximately 1.5 million nights. Germany follows with 12%, while the United States ranks third with 10%. But the unusually high proportion of visitors from Algeria has primarily historical and family-related reasons. Marseille has been connected to Algeria for more than a century, including throughout the period of French colonial rule in Algeria, through its port, trade, migration, and close economic and social ties. After the Algerian War and Algeria’s independence in 1962, these connections became even stronger, particularly through subsequent migration and the development of extensive family ties between the two countries. For many Algerians, therefore, a trip to Marseille may not mean a conventional tourist holiday. It may involve visiting relatives and friends, a longer family stay, or a combination of visiting family and tourism.

 Violence Connected to the Criminal Environment

Then comes the statistic that helps explain why Marseille is so frequently mentioned in discussions about security.

In Marseille, 165 murders and attempted murders involving people from criminal circles were recorded in 2023, compared with 76 cases in 2022. This represented a year-on-year increase of 117%. (Xavier Raufer)

With a population of 877,215, 165 cases would correspond to approximately 18.8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Purely mathematically, that is an average of approximately one such case every 2.2 days.

It is important, however, to emphasize what this statistic actually means. These are not all murders and attempted murders committed in Marseille. They concern a specific category of violence involving perpetrators or people connected to criminal circles in Marseille.

The connection between violence and the drug market is even more striking.

The French Cour des comptes states that 47 murders connected to drug trafficking were recorded in Marseille in 2023. This represented more than nine out of ten murders recorded in the city. At the same time, 118 people were injured, compared with 43 in 2022.

Cour des comptes states said that the violence is also spreading geographically. Whereas in 2022 at least one so-called “narcocide” occurred in six of Marseille’s sixteen municipal districts, by 2023 this had risen to eleven.

Marseille is therefore not simply a story of crime. It is also a story of social segregation, poverty, and the spatial concentration of problems.

 Poverty and the Concentration of Problems

“Life is parallel to Hell, but I must maintain.” — from song N.Y. State of Mind by Nas

According to INSEE, the poverty rate in Marseille’s priority neighborhoods, known as QPVs (Quartier prioritaire de la politique de la ville), was approximately 52% in 2021. This means that roughly one in two residents of these neighborhoods lived below the poverty line.

Some of the city’s most significant social problems are concentrated precisely in these areas.

There is another interesting mechanism at work here. INSEE data show that within the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, people are moving away from priority neighborhoods, particularly in the Aix-Marseille-Provence area. Those leaving these areas have, on average, a higher standard of living than those moving into them.

This creates a fairly important problem.

If people with higher living standards are disproportionately leaving a poor neighborhood while people with the lowest incomes, people living in poverty, and people without income remain, the departure of residents does not necessarily solve the problem. On the contrary, it can lead to an even greater concentration of poverty.

And this is where Marseille becomes an interesting example. A example because this situation can be to see also at another problematic parts of France.

There are neighborhoods in Marseille where large numbers of people with low incomes, people living in poverty, and people without income live. A significant proportion of the population has an immigrant background or was born in another country, while many of their descendants were born directly in France. Immigrant background itself, however, is obviously not an explanation for crime. What matters above all is the environment in which poverty, unemployment, limited economic opportunities, social segregation, and the presence of an organized drug market combine.

What happens if the economic conditions of such a neighborhood deteriorate further, or if it becomes increasingly marginalized?

The intuitive answer might be: people will leave and the problem will therefore be solved. But Marseille itself shows why this does not necessarily work.

The French Ministry of the Interior states that in 2024, registered drug-related crime in QPVs was higher than in their immediate surroundings. For drug use, there were 10.1 suspects per 1,000 inhabitants compared with 5.0 outside QPVs. The difference was even greater for drug trafficking: 3.2 compared with 0.8 per 1,000 inhabitants. These figures concern QPVs across France, not Marseille alone, but they demonstrate a significant spatial concentration of this type of crime.

This may point to a mechanism in which individual social problems reinforce one another.

Poverty limits people’s ability to improve their living conditions. Those who have sufficient resources and opportunities may be able to leave a troubled neighborhood. Those who do not have such options remain. If a drug market and organized criminal groups are also present in the same area, crime may become further concentrated there.

As the history of Marseille itself shows, people throughout history have generally not simply left when conditions deteriorated.

The departure of part of the population therefore does not necessarily mean that a neighborhood will recover. It may instead mean that those with the greatest ability to change their circumstances are the ones who leave, while a higher concentration of people with low or no income and limited opportunities remains behind.

And this is precisely what makes Marseille such an interesting example of this mechanism. Parts of its industry once disappeared, but the people remained. Later, those with better opportunities began to leave. Some of the city’s poorest areas were therefore gradually left with a high concentration of people who had the fewest opportunities to change their circumstances.

Marseille is therefore not simply a story of crime. It is also a story of how economic decline, social segregation, poverty, the departure of part of the population, and the development of an illegal economy can become interconnected within the same urban space.

These places of a best quality of life

 Because of my experiences in places such as Dutch cities, I often find myself wondering how easily people’s origins or ethnic diversity can be turned into an arguments that such a society cannot function, or that it must inevitably be less safe—for me, these arguments are a nonsense. My experience in the Netherlands has been the opposite. Some of my favorite places in Europe are also places with exceptionally diverse populations.

One of them is the province of Zuid-Holland, which I have mentioned several times before. This is where Rotterdam, The Hague and many other beautiful cities are located. Zuid-Holland (South Holland) as a whole is a beautiful place and is often among the leading places in Europe and in the world when it comes to quality of life—also according to the current Numbeo ranking, cities in this province are also among the top ten cities in the world for Quality of Life.

This time, however, I do not want to focus on the entire province—although this reality is similar to Zuid-Holland as whole. I want to focus on one particular place that, in my opinion, illustrates very well just how diverse contemporary European society can be — Rotterdam-Zuid.

 Rotterdam-Zuid 

is generally one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse parts of the city.

The Dutch statistical office CBS records statistics and these statistics show just how exceptionally diverse some of the neighborhoods here are.

For example, in Afrikaanderwijk, only 17% of residents had a Dutch background in 2025, while 74% had a background outside Europe and approximately another 9% had a European background outside the Netherlands. Put simply, around three quarters of the residents of this neighbourhood have a non-European background.

A similar picture can be seen in Hillesluis, where people with a non-European background accounted for approximately 71% of the population in 2025. Around 15% had a Dutch background, while another 14% had a European background outside the Netherlands.

In Tarwewijk, only 18% of residents had a Dutch background in 2025. 57% had a non-European background and another 25% had a European background outside the Netherlands.

These figures illustrate quite well just how dramatically the demographic composition can differ between different parts of the same European city.

Rotterdam-Zuid as a whole has a very visible Black population, partly due to communities with Surinamese, Caribbean, Cape Verdean and Sub-Saharan African backgrounds. At the same time, there are also large communities with Turkish, Moroccan, Muslim and many other backgrounds.

So when a man walk through Afrikaanderwijk, Hillesluis, Bloemhof, Tarwewijk or Feijenoord, a one encounter people with roots in many different parts of the world — Sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, South America, Turkey, Morocco, and other parts of Asia and Europe.

And in my opinion, this combination is precisely what characterises Rotterdam-Zuid.

 Rotterdam-Zuid as a multicultural space

This diversity is also evident when looking at Rotterdam as a whole. According to 2025 figures, approximately 248,000 residents of Rotterdam had a Dutch background, 80,000 had a European background outside the Netherlands, and 281,000 had a non-European background.

National statistics also show that Rotterdam, together with Amsterdam and The Hague, is among the Dutch cities with a very high proportion of residents with non-European backgrounds. In 2024, people with a non-European background accounted for just over 40% of Rotterdam’s population.

And Rotterdam-Zuid contains some neighbourhoods where this proportion is even higher.

Yet Rotterdam remains one city, one society and one shared everyday public space in which a very high level of ethnic diversity exists. For me, this diversity is one of the things that makes Rotterdam such a fascinating and enjoyable place — together with its highly modern architecture, interesting history and constantly changing society.

For me, Rotterdam-Zuid is therefore one of the most interesting examples of how extraordinary cultural and ethnic diversity does not, in itself, mean that a society cannot function. And this highly diverse part of Rotterdam-Zuid lies directly next to one of the city’s most modern, international, and one of the most popular areas — Kop van Zuid.

Quite the opposite — Rotterdam shows how a highly diverse population can simply be a natural part of everyday life. Rotterdam exists because of this very diverse society. 

How I said in the start of this article, no one can convince me that such a society cannot function, or that it must be unsafe. 

A comment: The railway sabotage incidents in the Netherlands

 I was looking at the locations of the railway sabotage incidents in the Netherlands, and I have to admit that some of them surprised me.

Without going into too much detail, what I find somewhat surprising is that the locations do not seem to involve the more heavily used southern railway corridors, including routes used for international connections, by people entering the Netherlands from other countries, or by visitors traveling to and in the main destinations in the Netherlands.

Some of the locations therefore seem rather unusual to me. It is not entirely clear why these particular parts of the Netherlands appear to have been targeted, as they seem to me to be much more closely associated with domestic rail traffic.

Major routes around Eindhoven, Breda, Tilburg and South Holland, as well as the Eindhoven–Amsterdam corridor and several other important connections, do not appear to have been affected. I would think that even more remote sections of these lines could potentially have been vulnerable.

This is particularly interesting when considering international movement into the Netherlands. People travelling from the eastern parts of Europe via Germany generally enter the country through its southern and eastern approaches when heading towards South Holland or further north towards Amsterdam. People travelling from other parts of the Benelux, as well as from France and southern Europe, also tend to use the southern parts of the Dutch railway network, especially when traveling to major destinations such as South Holland, Amsterdam or Utrecht.

The international movement is therefore concentrated largely along routes that do not appear to have been affected. These include connections between Eindhoven and South Holland, South Holland itself, the coastal area, Amsterdam and other major destinations. There are similar international movements on routes connecting the Netherlands with the other Benelux countries, France and the United Kingdom.

ProRail identifies Amsterdam–Eindhoven, Breda–Eindhoven, Schiphol–Utrecht–Nijmegen and Rijswijk–Rotterdam, among others, as major high-frequency passenger corridors. At the same time, Amsterdam, Schiphol, Rotterdam and Breda are important nodes in international rail transport. Eurostar, for example, runs from Amsterdam via Schiphol and Rotterdam to Belgium, with international services continuing from there towards France and the UK.

And if I leave these busier southern routes aside, Venlo is also quite an important point in this analysis. It is not simply a “German direction”, but an important eastern gateway between the Dutch railway network and the Düsseldorf/Mönchengladbach area.

Amsterdam–Venlo–Düsseldorf is an established international rail connection. NS International lists it as an alternative route between Amsterdam, Venlo, Düsseldorf and Frankfurt. From Venlo, regional trains continue directly to Mönchengladbach, Düsseldorf and Hamm.

There is also a rail connection between Rotterdam and Düsseldorf, meaning that South Holland is connected to Düsseldorf as well.

At the same time, there is a direct ICE service from Amsterdam to Düsseldorf via Utrecht and Arnhem, so Düsseldorf is connected to the Netherlands through more than one corridor.

I may be missing something in my reasoning, and I am not claiming that this analysis is necessarily correct. But if the objective was to cause as much disruption as possible to the Dutch railway network, my question would be why these busiest and most internationally relevant corridors were largely left untouched, while the infrastructure that was targeted appears, at least to me, to be more closely associated with a specific domestic rail traffic.

In other words, if the intention really was “to cause as much disruption as possible to the Dutch railway network”, it seems to me that this could be true especially for a particular part of the Netherlands, rather than for the Dutch railway network as a whole. 

Dutch Younger Generations Are Usually Wealthier Than Those Before Them

 I have another report about the Netherlands…

 Somewhere it is often said that today’s younger generation is the first one that will be worse off than their parents. And maybe in some European countries this is the truth. 

Dutch data, however, paint a somewhat different picture about Dutch situation. 

A new analysis by the Dutch national statistics office, CBS, compared different generations at the same ages.

First of all, Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) is the Dutch national statistics office and one of the most important institutions for understanding how Dutch society is actually developing. CBS was established as early as 1899, and its task is to collect, analyse, and publish reliable and independent statistical data about Dutch society and the economy.

The CBS results are fairly clear: at the same age, younger generations generally have greater purchasing power and more wealth than the generations before them.

For example, at the age of 45, the generation born between 1970 and 1985 had purchasing power almost half again as high as that of the baby boomers at the same age. Overall average purchasing power among the population also increased from €26.3 thousand in 1977 to €45.3 thousand in 2024, measured in 2024 prices.

A similar development can be seen in wealth. The median wealth of the Dutch population in 2024 was almost five times higher than in 1993. Rising property prices played a particularly important role in this.

This does not mean that young people in the Netherlands have everything easier. Up to around the age of 25–30, the youngest generations often have less money and wealth, partly because they spend longer in education. And housing in particular has become very problematic: the generation born between 1970 and 1985 has the highest rate of home ownership among the post-war generations studied.

Nevertheless, the main conclusion is this: the Netherlands is not a country where every new generation automatically falls into a worse economic situation than the one before it. On the contrary, when comparing people at the same age, the long-term trend is generally the opposite.

And that is precisely one of the reasons why the Dutch model is so interesting. It is not only about how much money people have today, but whether a society can continue to improve its standard of living over the long term, across generations. 

In a way, I perhaps can now tell the truth that this may be connected with a “porcelain eyes” that I sometimes see looking at me, or that I see them exclusively in the Benelux countries, as well I saw this among someone’s from France. This itself say a lot to me about Western Europe. 

Strasbourg vs. Amsterdam

 Perhaps this opinion of mine will surprise some people.

 Most people associate canals and a beautiful historic city center with Amsterdam in the Netherlands. And the truth is that Amsterdam’s historic center is beautiful. For me, Amsterdam is at its best during Christmas. The combination of Amsterdam’s culture, architecture, Christmas decorations, and people creates a genuinely magical Christmas atmosphere. In my opinion, Amsterdam at Christmas is easily among the most beautiful cities in Europe.

However, I also have to mention Strasbourg in France. Strasbourg is city of French Grand Est and this city can compete with Amsterdam in many ways.

Strasbourg has a beautiful historic center, with numerous picturesque canals running through the city, much like Amsterdam. It is also particularly beautiful during the Christmas season. Cycling is also very common in Strasbourg.

What makes Strasbourg stand out for me is also its Christmas decoration. Much of it is unique and, in some cases, even has a historic or non-commercial character. The decorations are everywhere, creating a distinctive Christmas atmosphere that is difficult to find elsewhere.

For me, Strasbourg is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. I sometimes find myself comparing it with Amsterdam, particularly when it comes to their historic centers. Strasbourg’s historic center shares surprisingly similar characteristics with Amsterdam’s, especially its combination of historic architecture, canals, and a strong sense of place.

Strasbourg may even be a safer city than Amsterdam—at least when it comes to homicides. There do not appear to be official homicide statistics specifically for Strasbourg; the French Ministry of the Interior’s statistical office mainly publishes figures for France as a whole. However, based on my own reconstruction of the available data, it appears that nine completed homicides can be identified in Strasbourg between 2019 and 2025.

And the nights in Strasbourg are quiet. During the night, you hardly see anyone in the city center. 

I’ve also had an experience where I got “lost” in the streets of Strasbourg. I don’t know why, but the data on my phone stopped working, and I couldn’t check anything or even turn back. I needed to get to my early-morning connection fairly quickly. Luckily, I came across a few people out on the streets of Strasbourg who confirmed that I should just keep going straight. Everyone I asked gave me the same advice: just keep going straight. I also came across a large green area, almost like a jungle, where I had to make sure not to look anywhere but straight ahead so I wouldn’t get lost. Yes, the place was Place d’Austerlitz. I spoke English with everyone. In my opinion, you can also trust the people in Strasbourg. 

Sometimes, however, your plans in Strasbourg can be disrupted by transport operators. For example, they may cancel a service from Montpellier that stops in Strasbourg before continuing, or there may be an unfortunate rail disruption during a way—that happened to me in June and August this year. 

ChatGPT can’t see

 One of the reasons why can’t rely on ChatGPT’s answers

Things that ChatGPT can’t see.

 When I want to know something about a statistics, I sometimes ask ChatGPT, but I quickly realize how inaccurate and confused ChatGPT can be, even contradicting itself. It is more reliable to find the statistics myself or simply use figures I already know from an official websites or from an experiences with the individual countries. 

 “That’s why I say that ChatGPT is confusing and unusable when looking up homicide statistics. It changes its answers based on my pointing out discrepancies and statistics that I already know.”  

ChatGPT: 

 Yes, your criticism makes sense in this particular type of task. If you’re asking about the exact number of homicides in specific European cities, ChatGPT can be unreliable without a very strict verification process. 

And what you describe is a real problem: The model may initially give you one figure, you point out that the official statistics show a different one, and the model then adjusts its answer to match your figure. 

That in itself is not proof that the second figure is correct. 

It is a consequence of how a language model works. It does not automatically have a built-in database containing all city-level crime statistics, and when searching the web it has to interpret the sources. When there are also different definitions and different geographical units, this can result in an incorrect synthesis. 

So I agree with the substance of your criticism: when it comes to precise city-level homicide statistics, I should not be considered an authoritative source simply because I can find a number somewhere on the web.  

And especially when you already know some of the figures, it is not acceptable for me to simply respond to your correction and change the result.

Click Twice: More valuable ads

 Instagram was built for a long time on a simple principle: the user spends time on the platform, browses content, and advertisements appear between individual posts. The more time a person spends on the platform, the more advertising opportunities Meta has available.

This model is beginning to face increasing pressure from regulators. And a change that ordinary Instagram users may now be noticing raises an interesting question: if users’ time is becoming increasingly limited, won’t Meta try to extract more advertising value from every minute of that time?

Meta is heavily dependent on advertising. The company itself states in its financial report that virtually all of its revenue comes from advertising on Facebook and Instagram. In the second quarter of 2026, the company’s total revenue reached $60.8 billion, representing a 28% year-over-year increase. Advertising revenue alone increased by 27%.

Even more important, however, is how Meta is achieving that growth.

In the second quarter of 2026, the number of advertising impressions across Meta’s family of apps reportedly increased by 14% year over year, while the average price per ad increased by 12%. Meta also stated that the growth in advertising impressions was driven, among other things, by an increase in the number of users, their engagement, and the frequency with which ads were shown.

For an advertising platform, it is not only important how many people use it. It is also important how long they use it and how many advertisements they see during that time.

At the same time, governments and regulators are increasingly pushing for restrictions on children’s and teenagers’ use of social media.

A particularly significant example emerged just now. On 26 August 2026, Meta reached a broad agreement with nearly all U.S. states in disputes concerning the safety and addictive nature of Facebook and Instagram for young users. The agreement reportedly includes, among other things, a default two-hour daily limit, nighttime restrictions between midnight and 6 a.m., and additional limitations on notifications and platform use. Among American teenagers aged 13–17, approximately 61% reportedly use Instagram.

The American law/settlement itself is unlikely to dramatically threaten Meta’s overall advertising revenue, because it applies only to U.S. users aged 13–17. However, it represents an important precedent. If similar restrictions expand to other countries and age groups, the economic significance of users’ lost time could become much greater.

This is not an isolated American case. Regulation of young people’s access to social media is expanding in other countries as well. Australia, for example, became the first country in the world to introduce a ban on social media for users under the age of 16, while similar proposals and debates are also taking place across Europe and other parts of the world.

If a particular group of users is allowed to spend less time on Instagram, or is prevented from using the platform altogether, the number of opportunities to show advertisements to that group naturally decreases.

Meta itself reportedly warns in its financial documents that an increasing number of laws are restricting or prohibiting the provision of its services to younger users, and that regulatory changes may affect its advertising business.

In recent weeks, some Instagram users have noticed another change. As of today, these notifications are appearing for more users. Advertisements have begun appearing directly in the Following tab—the section of the app traditionally used to browse content from accounts that users actually follow.

For a long time, Following was seen as a way to avoid part of the algorithmically recommended content and focus only on accounts that a person had personally chosen to follow.

Imagine a user who previously spent two hours a day on Instagram. During those two hours, they might have seen a certain number of advertisements. If regulation or parental controls reduce that usage to one hour, Meta suddenly has only half the amount of time in which it can display ads to that user.

Increasing the frequency of advertisements is one of the factors Meta itself mentions when explaining the growth in advertising impressions.

Meta competes for the user’s attention. Attention can be monetized through advertising. If the regulatory environment attempts to reduce the amount of that attention, its economic value to the platform may actually increase. Every minute of usage becomes more valuable. It then becomes logical to search for new advertising spaces, improve the efficiency of the advertising system, increase advertising prices, or display more ads within the same amount of time.

Indeed, in the second quarter of 2026, Meta simultaneously recorded a 14% increase in advertising impressions and a 12% increase in the average price per advertisement. Advertising revenue therefore grew significantly faster than the number of daily active people itself, which increased by only 3% year over year.

This suggests that the growth of Meta’s advertising business is not based solely on acquiring more users. Regulation may have a paradoxical effect. Regulators want people—especially children and teenagers—to spend less time on social media. Meta, on the other hand, has an economic incentive to maximize the value of users’ time, because advertising is its primary source of revenue.

The result does not necessarily have to be fewer advertisements. It may be exactly the opposite: less user time is greater pressure to monetize every minute → more advertising impressions is higher advertising density

It can therefore be argued that all of these developments are acting on the same economic issue: how much attention Meta can obtain from the user, and how much of that attention it can convert into advertising revenue.

If the world truly continues limiting the amount of time that young people, for example, are allowed to spend on social media, it may eventually turn out that the biggest change to Instagram will not be less social media—but a higher value placed on every minute that users still spend there.

A main source: Meta’s Q2 2026 Financial Report — Advertising Revenue and Ad Impressions

A inspiration for tittle "Click Twice" is song with "Click Twice" by King Tetrus.

to Keep Your Face Covered II.

 Following up on the previous article, here are some additional arguments:

Behind A Mask 

If the legal framework justifies a ban on covering the face on the grounds that the face must be visible or identifiable, it should be able to explain why it permits other material ways of covering or masking the face that can significantly alter its appearance.

Make-up constitutes a material, physical layer applied to the face, including prosthetic makeup. In this sense, it can be considered a form of physically covering or masking the face, even though it does not involve covering it with fabric.

If the purpose of the ban is to preserve a person’s identifiability, physical visibility of the face cannot be confused with the identifiability of the person. A face can be completely uncovered while its appearance can simultaneously be altered through prosthetic and cosmetic means to such an extent that the person is not recognizable to the public.

That in itself, and perhaps even more so when combined with different-colored contact lenses or a wig.

 The second part of the article looks at 

the Dutch model.

The Dutch model directly supports the argument I made in the previous article: if there is genuinely a need to identify a person, it is not necessary for their face to be continuously visible in public. The Dutch government explicitly states that face coverings may be worn on the street and that the police may ask a person to uncover their face if this is necessary for identification.

The following text is taken directly from the website of the Dutch government: (1)

 Partial ban on face-covering clothing

 

 In the Netherlands, people have the right to dress as they wish, regardless of what others think about it. In some locations, it is important for social safety and service provision that people can look at and recognize one another. The government therefore prohibits clothing that completely covers the face in certain locations: on public transport, in education, healthcare, and in government buildings.

Looking at and recognizing one another

In some places, it is necessary for people to look at and communicate with one another. This is important for providing good services. For the safety of visitors, patients, and staff, it is important to be able to recognize who is in the building or on public transport.

Locations where face-covering clothing is prohibited

In everyday language, people also sometimes use the terms burqa ban or niqab ban. The prohibition under the Partial Ban on Face-Covering Clothing Act applies in several places, namely:

educational institutions;

healthcare institutions;

public transport;

government buildings.

This includes, for example, a full-face motorcycle helmet, a balaclava, or a niqab. The ban on face-covering clothing applies to everyone. This includes visitors, employees, teachers, students, and patients.

Face-covering clothing on the street

In other places and on the street, people are still allowed to wear face-covering clothing. The police may ask a person to remove the face covering if this is necessary for identification.

Exceptions to the ban

There are several exceptions to the ban:

People may wear face-covering clothing if it is necessary to protect their bodies. An example is a welder’s safety mask.

The ban does not apply to clients, patients, or their visitors in residential areas of healthcare institutions where people stay for longer periods of time. For example, a senior citizens’ residential complex. The residential area is considered the private domain of clients or patients.

Face-covering clothing is permitted during festive and cultural activities taking place at a location where the ban applies. The clothing must be appropriate according to social norms and is permitted only when the clothing is an inseparable part of the celebration. For example, masks or other face coverings during a Sinterklaas celebration or carnival party at a school. Or a bridal veil during a wedding at the town hall. 

Source: (1) Gedeeltelijk verbod gezichtsbedekkende kleding

 Another point towards female Muslims is that there are probably only about two known cases in Europe in which face covering with burqa was used in connection with an attempted murder or murder. In one case, a woman disguised herself in a burqa so that she would not be recognized, and in the other case, a niqab was used as a disguise during an attempted contract killing. However, it is crucial to point out one thing: in these cases, these were not Muslim women who normally wore a burqa or niqab for religious reasons. Rather, religious clothing was used as a disguise in order to conceal the person’s identity. These cases may therefore show that covering the face can make it more difficult to identify a perpetrator, but they are not in themselves evidence that Muslim women who wear the niqab for religious reasons pose a security risk.

to Keep Your Face Covered

Safety and Privacy and the Rights and Freedoms

 

 I can’t help but find it almost absurdly amusing sometimes when pro-Russian individuals from some government, and others like them, attack Muslims. What is particularly strange is that there are more Muslims living in Russia than in a number of European countries that are themselves the targets of a criticism. And secondly, these critics often reject European values themselves, so, figuratively speaking, they are only making themselves look even more hypocritical.

As for me, I often spend time in Western European communities where people of Muslim background also live. It was also from some of these people that I experienced friendliness and respect — and that was long before I ever wrote these words. Obviously, for reasons that we can all understand. These people, who are part of Western society, have, in my experience, shown greater respect for rights and freedoms than those who themselves attack or question them.

Because of these Western communities, I get the feeling that hatred toward people of different nationalities or background is largely something that takes place especially online or in certain countries, rather than in the reality I know through these Western communities. A truth is also that these communities also include people working in public offices and the police from diverse backgrounds, and in my opinion this also helps determine how well society functions.

To be honest, I don’t like bans on covering the face either. I have several reasons for this, including personal ones. If someone voluntarily decides to cover their face in public, in my opinion they should have the right to do so.

Furthermore, the protection of freedom of religion is itself part of the European and international human-rights framework. Respect for these rights should be universal—by all humans. These thoughts are fundamentally rooted in human rights and freedoms themselves, because I see human rights and freedoms as an essential expression of true human freedom—One person’s freedom ends where another person’s begins.

Just look, for example, at celebrities whom, in the United States for example, sometimes cover their faces in order to preserve their safety and privacy. They have their reasons for doing so — and the right to privacy and safety is one of them, because these possibilities for madness around them… 

For this reason, banning someone from covering their face seems to me, in a certain sense, to restrict their right to privacy or safety. For some people, having their face covered may be a way of preserving at least some degree of privacy in a particular society, or even of maintaining a sense of security. I myself could appreciate having such an option in certain situations or societies. 

In my opinion, the right to see a person’s face should belong only to an authority that is legally empowered to require it. Likewise, a person should not be required to prove their identity to anyone other than the authorities designated to do so. If someone does not need to establish their identity to an authorized authority in a particular situation, I see no reason why they should be forced to show their face. 

And, just to lighten things up a little, I could also mention some of these girls — for example, when they sit down next to you on a train with their faces covered by a mask, even though the pandemic has been over for a long time. 

One might then think that sometimes it really isn’t such a bad thing for people to keep at least a little bit of their identity or security to themselves.

In the end, also during many events is possible to keep your face covered. Not just during a Halloween one. They could just as well ban makeup, because sometimes it also means you’re not seeing a person’s real face. Or they could just ban a hair color, because a hair color change can be the change for an identity itself. 

I also now remember that during the pandemic, I liked wearing face masks. Respirators were more difficult to wear, but I genuinely liked wearing masks. Sometimes people would ask me, including at events where I was on probation, why I was wearing a mask when I wasn’t required by organizers. After the pandemic, I was disappointed that wearing a mask was no longer considered appropriate.

I also admit that even in June 2023, when I was travelling to an event in the Netherlands, I took advantage of the fact that it had only been a short time since the requirement to wear a respirator on public transport in Germany had been lifted, and I wore one during the journey for personal reasons. I like Germany, and it was not meant to be anything personal against Germany, but I wanted to be at least somewhat covered.

A relevant is also Cyprus—a European Union country. If we include the entire island, including Northern Cyprus, Muslims make up approximately a quarter of the population. Although Cyprus ranks lower in some overall safety or peace rankings, this is significantly influenced by the island’s long-standing geopolitical conflict and division. But according to the UN, in 2024 there was approximately one intentional homicide per 100,000 inhabitants in Cyprus, equivalent to 0.001% of the population per year. Latvia, another EU country, has a population of around 1.8 million, with Muslims accounting for approximately 0.06% of the population. Latvia has the highest homicide rate in the EU; according to statistics, it is 4.0 per 100,000 inhabitants.

Hot As Hades

 The Ecstasy of these Days 

  In the end of May 2026, I wrote about a my Sunday night silent disco dance in the Zuid Holland, when I danced on bed and listened to the same trance track—Hot As Hades (John O’Callaghan Remix)—for two hours of dancing. 

And as a drink was an ordinary Dutch blackcurrant lemonade—pretty strong taste of this drink from Zeeland.

I also wrote that I sometimes added my own truly trance lyrics instead of the original trance ones in the Hot As Hades (John O’Callaghan Remix)…

One of the truly trance lyrics was actually sad—it was about the end of the summer season and the loss of a summer love. 

I kept parts of that lyric: 

 As she slowly fades now there, 

 she turns. 

 I feel the same. 

 She drugs me in with her eyes. 

 I leave my heart. 

 We come down together. 

 I can take this better. 

 She is my one, only love now. 

 We fall together. 

…

 The summer time comes to an end. 

 Butterflies are ceasing to fly. 

 The dance of Heart in your eyes, 

 is missing to my heart. 

 You’re the Miss heart. 

 Miss heart, 

 Miss heart, 

 Miss heart, 

 Miss heart, 

 …

Antisocial Behavior

 I have to write something again about life in a certain country. I don’t even need to explain that what follows is not an isolated case. This is one of the reasons why Sidney SN is an influencer.

One of many examples is Dickies shorts. They look decent, and that is also why I like them. Despite all the familiar forms of hatred, I am still sometimes surprised by something.

One example is the idea that I must deliberately wear these Dickies shorts, apparently as a provocation towards certain people who are offended by me and by social habits that, in my opinion, are also the norm in Western society itself, or in Germany. To me, these people in the certain country lack basic civilized social manners and behavior when they see a problem with someone simply dressing decently and cleanly.

I don’t understand why I should wear more decent or attractive clothes as a form of provocation, rather than simply because I like these clothes. I like quality things, quality of life, quality food, and good hygiene. A reason why I like values of the west side of Europe. In my opinion, I live in a civilization, and civilization is not about living in a way that resembles indigenous or primitive habits — habits that were historically determined by the times people lived in, rather than by having a choice. 

Since I am talking about social behavior and norms, in my opinion, one of the reasons why the spread of free tekno is restricted in the Benelux countries or England is literally this antisocial behavior. In the country mentioned above, it seems that similar antisocial behavior is quite a social norm, when an ordinary citizen actually sees normal social or civilized behavior as a problem or provocation towards their person. 

Sometimes I feel that, just as the free tekno crowd was hostile toward the styles I was into after the turn of the century, I’m hearing the same kind of attitude from the wider community today. At its core, the reasoning is the same: they want me to be just as badly off as they are because of the values they themselves have chosen.

Dutch cheese in French bread roll with a Italian style

 I don’t think I ever intended to become an influencer, but I’m glad it happened, especially because of the reasons behind it.

I have something a little lighter to share, something very typical for a blogger: food.

Another topic of mine is agriculture in the Netherlands, which is always very interesting for me. I’ve also probably mentioned something that is very well known to many people: the Netherlands is also a country of cheese. The Dutch have created many cheeses that are now famous all over the world, and it’s not just Gouda — pronounced correctly in Dutch as “chou-da,” with the G being the characteristic Dutch guttural “ch” sound.

I also buy affordable Dutch cheeses when I’m outside the Netherlands. 

Right now, I have something here made with one of the grated Dutch cheeses. It’s a very quick dish, inspired by my favorite Italian cuisine…

French bread roll, Dutch cheese and Italian seasoning. There’s also some ketchup and tomatoes. The filled French bread rolls just need to be put in the microwave.

A meal bringing France, the Netherlands and Italy.

Speed Over Time

 I have previously written about the quality of Dutch railway infrastructure, but Germany’s high-speed ICE network deserves attention as well.

I recently read that Czechia is planning to build a tunnel on part of the railway line between Pilsen and Prague to reduce travel times. What struck me was the timeline itself—the project will start after 2030. By contrast, Germany and the Benelux countries have been investing in modern railway infrastructure for decades. High-speed rail has long been a reality there, with trains operating at speeds of up to 300 km/h or with Eurostar in Benelux even more.

Looking at the pace of development in the Czech Republic, it is difficult not to wonder whether the country will ever catch up something from progressive and advanced infrastructure of Germany or Benelux. 

In the way of trains, a good example is the journey from Düsseldorf to Munich. Imagine comparing the same route under two different railway systems: one served by a Czech-style express train operating on conventional infrastructure, and the other by Germany’s ICE running on dedicated high-speed lines.

The contrast is striking.

Today, a direct ICE train completes the journey from Düsseldorf to Munich in approximately 4 hours and 33 minutes to 4 hours and 50 minutes, depending on the service.

If the same journey relied solely on infrastructure comparable to conventional Czech railway network—with maximum speeds typically between 120 and 160 km/h, numerous curves, and significantly lower average operating speeds—it would take roughly three hours longer. In the case of services such as the Berounka train between Pilsen and Prague, with an average speed of 80–95 km/h, the journey between Düsseldorf and Munich would take almost twice as long than with German's trains. 

This is not simply a matter of faster trains; it is a matter of long-term investment and system priorities. Germany’s railway network between Cologne, Frankfurt, Nuremberg, and Munich is built around extensive high-speed corridors designed for fast, efficient travel. In contrast, the Czech railway network remains largely conventional, with only limited sections capable of supporting speeds of 160–200 km/h.

While much of Western Europe has spent decades building infrastructure networks for the future, in the Czechia still seems to be debating projects that should have become reality many years ago. 

Beyond Populism

 It was undoubtedly tragic what happened in Berlin over the weekend. However, it was impossible not to notice that politicians, including representatives of the Czech government, once again used this incident to promote their own political narratives.

It is also highly speculative to claim that the people involved identified with the LGBTQ+ community. In reality, many of the current governing parties and their leaders have previously expressed opposition to various LGBTQ+ rights. They have rejected key demands, including marriage equality and the right of same-sex couples to raise children etc. etc... I do not want to go into this debate in greater depth here, but given their previous political positions, their sudden expressions of solidarity appear questionable and, in some cases, politically motivated. Even Vladimir Putin’s government uses similar rhetoric against LGBTQ+ people. Some of these politicians have also opposed gender equality, which makes their claimed support for LGBTQ+ victims even more difficult to reconcile.

The reactions I have seen in Czech media following the Berlin incident once again resemble a populist approach. These same political forces have often shown hostility toward Ukrainian refugees as well, both during their election campaigns and afterwards. Ironically, one could argue that if Ukrainians in the Czech Republic belonged to another minority group, they might receive a different level of acceptance from some politicians. Otherwise, the contradiction in their positions becomes increasingly visible.

Recently, I also referred to a statement made by a member of a government, a claim about wannabe safest country in Europe that does not reflect reality.

The further reactions following the Berlin attack once again led me to question broader claims about security and crime that are often associated with people from certain countries or communities. I therefore looked at murder statistics in Germany’s capital Berlin and compared them with those of the supposedly “safe” Czech capital Prague — a city where, according to some political narratives, there should be almost no influence from migration from Islamic countries.

   Prague vs. Berlin: 

What do murder statistics look like when adjusted for population size?

  When comparing the safety of European cities, absolute numbers of murders are often cited. However, these can be misleading because they do not take into account population size or differences in the legal definitions and statistical methods used by individual countries. A more accurate comparison requires calculating the rate per 100,000 inhabitants and understanding the circumstances that may significantly influence the statistics.

 Year 2025

Prague

* 23 intentional killings (murder/homicide)

* Approximately 1.41 million inhabitants

* 1.63 cases per 100,000 inhabitants

Berlin

* 108 completed cases of Mord + Totschlag (murder and manslaughter)

* Approximately 3.70 million inhabitants

* 2.92 cases per 100,000 inhabitants

At first glance, it might appear that Berlin had a higher murder rate than Prague in 2025. However, such a conclusion would be misleading without further explanation.

 An exceptional case that changed the statistics

Berlin’s 2025 statistics included 79 completed killings connected to a single extraordinary criminal case. Police are investigating a former palliative care "white" doctor suspected of serially killing patients. This single case significantly increased the city’s overall statistics. However, these deaths occurred over a period of several years, not only during 2025.

If these 79 cases were excluded, Berlin would have approximately:

* 29 completed cases of Mord + Totschlag

* 0.78 cases per 100,000 inhabitants

 What did 2023, 2024 and 2025 look like?

Prague (2023)

* 27 registered murder cases

* Approximately 1.38 million inhabitants

* ≈ 1.96 cases per 100,000 inhabitants

Prague (2024)

* 19 registered murder cases

* Approximately 1.40 million inhabitants

* ≈ 1.36 cases per 100,000 inhabitants

Prague (2025)

* 23 registered murder cases

* Approximately 1.40 million inhabitants

* ≈ 1.64 cases per 100,000 inhabitants

Berlin (2023)

* 34 completed cases of Mord + Totschlag

* Approximately 3.66 million inhabitants

* ≈ 0.93 cases per 100,000 inhabitants

Berlin (2024)

* 53 completed cases of Mord + Totschlag

* Approximately 3.69 million inhabitants

* ≈ 1.44 cases per 100,000 inhabitants

Berlin (2025)

* Approximately 29 completed cases of Mord + Totschlag

* Approximately 3.70 million inhabitants

* ≈ 0.78 cases per 100,000 inhabitants

What does this show?

After removing the exceptional impact of one large criminal case involving a white man, or when looking at the years 2023, 2024 and 2025 separately, Prague and Berlin appear to have a very similar level of homicide crime relative to their populations. 

But 15 murder victims from the December 2023 Charles University in Prague shooting are not also included in this figure for Prague. Regarding Berlin, the PKS states that 10 cases from the Berlin series had already been included in the statistics for 2024, while 79 were included in 2025. Without the Berlin series, Berlin may therefore actually look even better.

Therefore, the claim that Germany is dangerous because it accepts migrants from Eastern countries, while the Czech Republic is safe because of the absence of migrants from Islamic countries, appears to me to be false. 

What happened?!

 Today I was deeply shocked by what happened on the Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam.

I wondered whether I should write anything about this tragedy. I have a connection to Rotterdam and its community, and I simply can’t remain silent. I have also travelled by tram across the Erasmus Bridge many times.

This morning, a moving tram collided with a stationary tram on the Erasmus Bridge. The accident occurred while the bridge was open to allow a ship to pass.

Bridge openings like this are an everyday occurrence. During my visits to Rotterdam, I have often waited on a tram at the Erasmus Bridge while a ship passed underneath before continuing towards Wilhelminaplein. I wouldn’t want to experience something like this myself.

I was “surprised” that the approaching tram did not appear to slow down. The exact cause of the accident has not yet been made public. According to the available information, even witnesses did not immediately understand what had happened.

I have examined the situation using numerous available videos. One of my hypotheses is that a contributing factor may have been that the stationary tram was positioned just beyond the crest of the bridge in the direction of Wilhelminaplein. When approaching from the opposite side, the view over the bridge’s crest is limited. Based on my understanding of the bridge’s elevation, one possible contributing factor could be that the driver of the approaching tram was unable to see the stationary tram for much of the bridge, or perhaps not at all until the last moment.

This does not explain the accident itself. The actual cause may turn out to be something entirely different from my hypothesis. There are also safety systems in place, including signals and authorisation to enter the bridge. The accident could have resulted from a technical failure or another unforeseen circumstance. Hopefully, there was no failure to observe the signaling system or the bridge-opening procedures.

If the investigation were to show that the second tram had been authorized to enter the bridge while the first tram had stopped beyond the bridge’s crest, then the restricted visibility might prove to have been one of the contributing factors.

According to the available information, 15 people were injured in the accident. Seven were taken to hospital, and one person sustained serious injuries. The remaining injured passengers were treated at the scene and were able to return home.

Screenshots; 

Twee trams botsen op elkaar op de Erasmusbrug 

Meerdere zwaargewonden na botsing tussen trams Erasmusbrug Rotterdam

Where are you from?

 Given that I am among the people whose     more attractive appearance itself, stemming from the intellect and personality behind it, has become a problem for a significant part of society in a certain country around me, I am interested in the security of certain countries.

First of all, in my opinion, if a society is described as economically and culturally more advanced, while someone’s appearance alone becomes a problem, this claim appears to be untrue. Secondly, statements about safety for ordinary people in general are also misleading.

Because of these experiences, my experiences with other European countries, and statistical data, I was once again struck by the following statement:

“I know, and I think your people know as well, that the Czech Republic is the safest country in Europe and definitely one of the safest countries for people from Israel. And the reason is completely clear: we simply do not have any migrants from Islamic countries here.”

The statement was widely quoted by Czech media as part of appearance at a joint press conference with the Israeli Foreign Minister.

There are several false claims in this quote. First, the Czech Republic is not the safest country in Europe. It is not even among the top ten safest countries in Europe. Secondly, in my opinion, based on my experience as an “Aussie,” the Czech Republic does not necessarily have to be considered a safe country for Israelis, just as it may not be safe for people of Muslim origin or people of any other background. Thirdly, there are more countries in Europe that are safer than the Czech Republic, and their general populations include people from Islamic countries. One example is the Netherlands, and Switzerland is also among the top ten safest countries in Europe.

My examples of the Netherlands and Switzerland show that countries with a significantly higher proportion of residents with a migration background can also be very safe. The decisive factors are the functioning of institutions itself or the structure of society.

I could also mention that, due to “shortcomings” in the country mentioned above, I have experienced smiles and positive attitudes toward me from people of Muslim background as well, for example in the Netherlands. Therefore, someone could even argue that one may feel safer among these communities, just as the Netherlands or Switzerland itself is also statistically a safer country than Czechia.

How Migration Is Changing European Demography

 Perhaps some “environmentalists” may see a positive side when a population, civilization declines somewhere: less space is needed for people and fewer resources are consumed.

I sometimes smile at the fact that in the Benelux countries, France, or Germany, populations are growing, while elsewhere stagnation is taking place.

If immigrants and war refugees were also to leave, as many politicians suggest by appealing to widespread public sentiments, the population would decline by another roughly 10%. In an ironic sense, I have also thought that both mentally and because of a reduced population, this could become a political tool and might even help some countries in the event of a potential invasion.

This is about Czechia, where the population is declining, and Western Europe, where populations are growing and civilization in progress. I recently wrote about Rotterdam, where construction continues on a large scale, and about Luxembourg as well. In Czechia, less is being built partly because there are fewer people to build for, including as a consequence of migration policy.

Czechia is among the countries that have experienced a long-term population decline. The number of births is lower than the number of deaths, and demographic projections indicate that without sufficient migration, the Czech population will decrease over the long term.

On the other hand, Western Europe has growing populations. Countries such as Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, and, in recent decades, Germany have managed to offset population decline caused by low birth rates through immigration.

According to Eurostat, since 2012, the European Union’s population growth has been almost entirely dependent on positive net migration, which compensates for the natural decrease in population. Migration policy has therefore become one of the main factors shaping demographic development, alongside strong economic growth, as seen for example in Luxembourg.

In Germany, people with a migration background already account for approximately one-third of the population; in the Netherlands, nearly one-third; in Belgium, up to 40 percent; and in Luxembourg, the majority of the population consists of people born abroad or their descendants.

52 hours in a hot Netherlands

• Day 01.

11:00 a.m. – Arrival for a stop in Eindhoven.

Travel from Eindhoven to South Holland.

Check in to accommodation.

Grocery shopping.

Visit to Hoek van Holland, traveling by tram and metro to the beach near Rotterdam.

Return to the hotel for personal needs.

Dinner.

A visit of Katendrecht and some time relaxing in the park, then continuing the night.

A private party until late at night.

• Day 02.

Before noon departure and travel to The Hague.

Visit to Scheveningen, including the beach and the sea.

Return to the hotel for personal needs.

Evening visit to Rotterdam city center.

Visit to Nieuwe Werk, Het Park, and other sights.

A private party until late at night.

• Day 03. 

Morning packing and late morning check out.   

Visit to the Maastunnel, then continue through tree parts of city to the afternoon departure point from the Netherlands.

Discussion of teenagers on a tram

 They were talking about so-called cannabis-like products, including synthetic ones, which they can buy in stores.

One of them explained that these products sometimes do not suit him, so he buys something else. He described unpleasant feelings even after taking a small dose. Another agreed but said that these effects are not as pronounced for him. He also pointed out that it is possible to save money with them. One gram for a low price lasts longer, for several days. I have heard this argument elsewhere as well.

In a way, the price for one gram is usually quite low. It is often not even eight euros per gram. Someone can have an “experience” lasting several days for very little money. Alcohol is more expensive if the goal is to achieve similar effects. THC products also tend to be weaker, and a gram containing THC is apparently more expensive.

Another example was at a bus stop. A group of high school students were talking about how, when a classmate uses this type of cannabis substitute, he is unable to control himself. They had even given it to him at school so that he would be confused during classes. This was not the first time, more teenager groups on the street talking about similar situations, where a group would mock someone—sometimes quite enthusiastically—when that person experienced problems after using such substances. 

World of flipped seasons

   “Aussie news”

  As an “Aussie” keeping an eye on what’s going on back home, I’ve noticed a rise in reports coming out of Sydney and the wider New South Wales coast about shark incidents.

Across Aussie media, shark-focused pages, and SharkSmart alerts, there’s been a noticeable uptick in reports of shark encounters and beach closures around Sydney.

2026 has been a pretty unusual year for the Sydney region. Back in January, the NSW coastline saw a run of four shark incidents within just 48 hours. Some of them happened right around Sydney, which led to multiple beach closures and kicked off a big public debate about swimming safety. Experts at the time called it an extraordinary situation.

Then in June, there was another serious incident at Coogee Beach in Sydney. A 35-year-old woman was attacked a few dozen metres off the shore and suffered life-threatening injuries. Authorities responded by shutting down beaches from Bondi through to Maroubra and rolling out intensive aerial patrols along the coastline.

In NSW, a typical year usually sees around 4–6 shark incidents. In 2026, the numbers are higher at about 7–8 overall, with 3–4 around the Sydney area.