State Commission finds gov't failed to act against discrimination

The State Commission on Discrimination and Racism has recognised the Netherlands shortcomings in tackling discrimination in its final report.

The Dutch government's promises to address structural and societal discrimination in the Netherlands have been insufficient, as disadvantages for population groups persist. Specifically, discriminatory language in the House of Representatives is considered a prominent issue, NOS reports.

Dutch State Commission submits final report

In their report, the commission expanded its lens beyond societal prejudices to include structural discrimination and racism as historically and contemporarily constructed by the government itself.

The government has repeatedly failed to tackle recognised issues and will have to adopt a more active approach in protecting marginalised groups. According to Joyce Sylvester, Chair of the State Commission, this includes “laws, rules, systems, and working methods within policy and public services”.

The final report consists of 10 recommendation statements to the chamber calling for “political courage, leadership, administrative and civil service commitment, and societal engagement,” as well as “the realisation that equality and equal treatment are not self-evident but require continuous attention and action".

Racist language in the House of Representatives

In a clear pattern, statements and phrases by government officials that are implicitly discriminatory have influenced Dutch society's perception of marginalised groups. Especially impactful are comments regarding Jews and Muslims.

Discussions in the Dutch House of Representatives have been assessed to be contributing to an increasingly discriminatory discourse, in which hateful comments regarding population groups are normalised.

The interplay between media echoing representatives' statements and the etiquette of discussion in the House leads to a negative spiral in which society adopts increasingly biased terminology.

Joyce Sylvester, Chair of the State Commission, explains the build-up through an example regarding former Deputy Prime Minister Sigrid Kaag: “Wilders called Kaag a witch. Subsequently, you see that this is picked up on social media. And then it is not just about Sigrid Kaag being a witch, but other female politicians are also labelled that way.” 

Commission formed after algorithm scandal

The Staatscommissie tegen Discriminatie en Racisme was formed in 2022 in direct response to the childcare benefit scandal, in which thousands of families in the Netherlands were accused of fraud based on what has since been revealed as a discriminatory algorithm used by Dutch tax offices.

Since then, the Commission has repeatedly urged the government to improve its approach to discriminatory structures, calling for prevention over reactive measures. In 2025 alone, recovery operations compensating those who appealed against structural discrimination cost the government more than 50 million euros.

The Commission has now finalised the results of its four-year investigation into discrimination and racism in Dutch society, having already released an array of recommendations to the Dutch government, including its anti-discrimination test developed to monitor municipalities.

While the commission was called into office by the House of Representatives, it acts as an independent body.

Policies unreflective of diversity in the Netherlands

Sylvester called on the responsibility of both the government and Dutch society to handle discrimination and racism in the Netherlands as a shared source of suffering. “Breaking down discrimination is not a one-off task. It is an ongoing responsibility for all of us.” The commission names a lack of reflection of Dutch diversity in the government as a core issue. 

According to the Commission, policies and legislative decisions are still formed through a too narrow perspective, unrepresentative of the Dutch population. Residents must be more involved in policymaking and implementation. Currently, those who are already socioeconomically disadvantaged are most affected by structural constraints while their perspectives are being excluded. 

The Ministry of Interior is refraining from commenting on the state commission's report as of June 10, 2026.