Netherlands looks to waive €835 name change fee for descendants of enslaved people

The caretaker Cabinet wants to give the descendants of enslaved people the opportunity to change their name without cost. Adults currently have to pay 835 euros to complete the legal name change process.

Enslaved people were often assigned a name connected to either those who kept them enslaved, or the plantation where they were based. The Cabinet said it believes that the policy will help create awareness about the history of slavery, and to demonstrate more compassion for its impact on successive generations of people.

Last December, when Prime Minister Mark Rutte apologized on behalf of the country for its historical connection to the slave trade, he pledged a period of commemoration where "all facets of the history of slavery, and its impact in our time, will be in the spotlight." Since then, King Willem-Alexander has also apologized on the country's behalf.

"The apologies made earlier for the history of slavery were not a full stop, but a comma. It is up to both the Cabinet and society to give further substance to this," said Legal Protection Minister Franc Weerwind, who initiated the proposal. "The fact that changing the surname for descendants of enslaved people will soon become much easier and free of charge is an example of an initiative that fits in well with the apologies that have been made, and the next steps that are being taken."

In addition to eliminating the application fee, the Cabinet wants to get rid of the requirement that the descendants of enslaved people also submit a psychological statement. Instead, a statement attesting they are a descendant of an enslaved person will be enough.

Weerwind was also the Cabinet member who first revealed a year ago that the Netherlands would apologize for the country's link to slavery. His proposal was approved by the other ministers currently on the Cabinet. It next needs to be considered by the Council of State, which has a right to provide advice on proposed legislative changes.