According to recently published police statistics, discrimination in the Northern Provinces is on the rise. The reports, which were originally made in 2020 and 2021 but recently published to the Discrimination Monitor Northern Netherlands, show that a total of 596 incidents were reported by discrimination hotlines, and 566 incidents were reported to the police throughout the Northern Netherlands. These statistics show an increase of 21 percent and 10 percent respectively.
The statistics were based on reports made to agencies such as the Discrimination Hotline and the Human Rights Board, as well as to government offices such as the police. According to the Discrimination Monitor Northern Netherlands, the sharp increase in reports was largely due to corona-related reports of discrimination.
Reports of racial discrimination seemingly fell slightly between 2020 and 2021, largely as a result of a spike of corona-related racism reports from the beginning of the pandemic. The statistics show that when corona-related measures such as mask requirements re-entered legislation, so too did reports of racism and discrimination rise. Specifically, people of Asian descent reported high amounts of discrimination, especially in early 2020.
Reports of racism, despite the slight drop from 2020, remained the most prevalent form of discrimination throughout the northern provinces. In fact, according to the Discrimination Monitor Northern Netherlands, racial discrimination comprised nearly a third of all reports across Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe in 2021.
Discriminatory confrontations and threats also saw a marked increase in 2021, comprising nearly 30 percent of all reports, an increase from only 12 percent in 2020.
The data for 2022 are expected to be released sometime in Spring 2023.
