Discrimination reports surge by nearly 50 percent in Netherlands

The Dutch College of Human Rights received a total of 3.143 reports of discrimination last year, according to the Discirimination Monitor the College published on Tuesday for International Human Rights Day. In 2015 there were 2,148 reports and in the year before that 1,786, ANP reports.

The most significant increases compared to 2015 could be seen in reports of discrimination based on race, from 297 in 2015 to 595, based on religion from 86 to 181 and based on sexual orientation from 32 to 63. Percentage wise race discrimination is the biggest problem the College currently deals with, 26 percent of the reports are related to race. Discrimination based on a disability or chronic illness comes in a close second place with 25 percent of the reports.

The number of requests for a ruling also increased last year, with 41 to 463 requests. Here discrimination based on disability was the basis of most cases, followed by race and gender. About a third of the cases resulted in a judgment. In 73 percent the organizations took measures to prevent further discrimination following the judgment.

There is no clear cause for the increase in the number of discrimination cases, a spokesperson for the College said to ANP. But the reputation of the College for Human Rights plays a role. "We've now existed for four years and needed soe time as an organization to build a reputation" An increase in the willingness to report discrimination also may have played a role.