In 2005 it was listed as one of 40 "problem neighborhoods" that required extra attention by the Dutch Ministry of Housing.

[2] Approximately 76% of the population have at least one parent that was not born in the Netherlands, most of them being of (partial) Turkish or Moroccan background.

[3][failed verification] This unique political climate is one that shaped the views of one of its ex-residents, national politician Geert Wilders of the PVV, who lived in the area in the late 1990s.

[4] During his time in Kanaleneiland, Geert Wilders lived in an apartment complex on the Marco Pololaan, a busy street overlooking the Columbus park.

This apartment complex is located above a Lidl supermarket, and has seen an increase in popularity among right-wingers.