Nationally, cases have risen by only 1%, but in Groningen and Drenthe the rise has been 22%
The number of reports received by the ‘discrimination report centres’ has increased considerably last year in the Northern Netherlands. 538 reports were received at the discrimination hotlines, 531 were reported to the police and 53 to the College of Human Rights about experiences of discrimination against civilians.
Last year, the numbers were 440, 400 and 35 reports respectively: an increase of 22 percent compared to last year. It is striking that, nationally, the number of reports has increased by only one percent. As reported by the Asser Courant.
The vast majority of reports of discrimination in the provinces of Drenthe and Groningen come from the municipality of Groningen. In 2019, 164 residents of the city reported discrimination. The municipalities of Assen and Emmen then follow, each with 18 reports from residents.
The reason for the increase in the Northern Netherlands is not entirely clear, according to the Discrimination Monitor. “When there are major increases or decreases, this can often be attributed to multiple reports about issues from the social debate. In 2019, there have been no issues that have been reported substantially. However, several reports have been made about the Nashville declaration in January 2019, in which reporters indicate that the document is discriminatory with regard to LGBTI people. However, this does not explain the 22% increase, as there have not been significantly more reports of these grounds for discrimination”, the agency wrote in a news release.
According to the monitor, what did raise awareness was the racism at the football match between FC Den Bosch and Excelsior. Excelsior player Ahmad Mendes Moreira was racially abused by supporters of the home club from the stands during the game. “Such an incident causes people to report what happened to them,” said spokesperson Sanne Smid. “When it comes to attention, people can recognise it. It sometimes happens that people do not know exactly what racism means. ”
Image: Eleanor Roosevelt with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. License-free.
