Number of reports of discrimination in the Northern Netherlands has increased

The number of reports of discrimination in the Northern Netherlands has increased in the past year. This is evident from figures from the Discrimination Monitor 2023. This monitor consists of figures from the three Northern Netherlands reporting points, the police and the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights (CRM).

In Drenthe, a total of 66 reports of discrimination were received from 11 municipalities. Only the municipality of Tynaarlo is not affiliated with the Drenthe Discrimination Reporting Center and is therefore not part of the monitor figures.

The most common ground of discrimination is and remains racism, or discrimination based on origin and/or skin color. Almost half of all reports received by the hotlines, 49 percent, related to this type of discrimination. In Drenthe, 52 percent of the reports were of this nature. According to the Discrimination Monitor, this is in line with the trend of recent years.

This year, 11 reports of discrimination on the basis of a (physical) disability or chronic illness were received in Drenthe. Last year, 19 reports of this type of discrimination were received. That is a decrease of 42 percent. In relative terms, this decline is much stronger than the decline in the Northern Netherlands. There the decrease was 7 percent and a total of 59 reports were received.

Most reports were received last year about discrimination in the labor market. In the entire Northern Netherlands there were 117 reports, in Drenthe there were 20. That corresponds to almost a third.

Discrimination in the labor market takes many forms, according to the team behind the monitor. For example, women may be fired due to pregnancy, or you may not be invited for a job application because you do not have a Dutch surname.

The Discrimination Monitor also contains advice for agencies: “Engage in preventive education about discrimination. This provides crucial support and helps prevent injustice, promote equal opportunities and create an inclusive society.”