Green party calls for ban on all forms of ethnic profiling

GroenLinks wants the government to ban all forms of ethnic profiling, including the use of computerized risk profiles based on people's background characteristics, party leader Jesse Klaver said to Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Justice Minister Ferdinand Grapperhaus before the start of a parliamentary debate on racism, De Telegraaf reports.

According to Klaver, government agencies and companies increasingly use this type of risk profile and that can lead to discrimination. He mentioned examples like higher insurance premiums for people who live in poorer neighborhoods, or extra checks by the Tax Authority if you have dual nationality. That has to stop, Klaver said.

"Organizations and companies no longer view you as an individual, but treat you based on the group you belong to. If we are not careful, digitization, algorithms and institutional racism will go hand-in-hand," the green party leader said.

GroenLinks also called for more supervision on the labor market and housing market to fight discrimination. The Social Affairs and Employment Inspectorate and municipalities must be empowered to actively detect and fight discrimination and racism, Klaver said.