The Best Episodes of Zembla Season 35

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   #1 - The living experiment

   S35:E11/15/2026

   It seemed like the ideal solution for the housing shortage and simultaneously the integration of refugees. One hundred and twenty-five young people and one hundred and twenty-five refugees, together under one roof: the mixed housing project Stek Oost in Amsterdam. The young people act as buddies for the refugees. Together they form a 'community.' But in practice, things are less rosy. We received various internal documents and were given access to the residents' WhatsApp groups. What signals, reports, and evaluations did the housing association and the municipality receive? Why didn't they intervene? And who are the victims of this housing experiment?

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   #2 - Seed without borders

   S35:E212/29/2025

   To protect children's rights, strict regulations have been introduced in the Netherlands to prevent children from later turning out to be the offspring of a mass donor. But does this legislation help if most sperm comes from Danish companies? Every year, more than a thousand Dutch children are conceived using foreign donor sperm. In online catalogs, prospective parents can choose from hundreds of profiles of men who donate their sperm. This sperm from Denmark is then shipped worldwide. Zembla investigates the consequences of this global sperm trade and speaks with donors, prospective parents, and the Danish CEO of the world's largest sperm bank.

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   #3 - The Pain epidemic

   S35:E31/12/2026

   One in four Dutch people suffer from chronic pain. Many of them use highly addictive painkillers, such as oxycodone and fentanyl, to alleviate their symptoms. But strikingly, this actually leads to more pain, and they become addicted. Treating pain is extremely complex. What works for one patient is completely ineffective for another. Renowned pain specialists speak candidly about the feeling of helplessness they experience when confronted with yet another desperate patient. Nearly all experts warn of the devastating consequences of long-term opioid use.

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   #4 - Gas in de gevel

   S35:E41/26/2026

   Tens of thousands of homes each year are insulated with UF foam sprayed into cavity walls. The material is considered sustainable and is subsidized for its energy savings and climate benefits. At the same time, residents across the country are reporting serious health problems after installation, including headaches, shortness of breath, and eczema. In some cases, the symptoms are so severe that residents are forced to leave their homes. Experts are raising concerns about the carcinogenic formaldehyde in the foam. Zembla is documenting the complaints and investigating the health risks of this insulation method.

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