Ombudsman investigating Dutch government’s terrorism watch list

The National Ombudsman has launched an investigation into how the government handles its terrorism watchlist. According to Ombudsman Reinier van Zutphen, citizens often don’t realize they’re on the list, only finding out when they can’t enter a holiday destination or get arrested abroad. They also don’t know where to find out why they’ve been registered or dispute it.

The Ombudsman has received around a dozen complaints from people who suspect they have a Counterterrorism, Extremism, and Radicalization (CTER) registration. If someone is on this register, the police can share their information with various security agencies, investigative services, and countries. It is unclear whether the Dutch authorities know what happens to that data once they’ve shared it.

The Ombudsman launched this investigation to determine whether the government handles this data carefully because not doing so could have significant consequences for citizens. For example, it can prove impossible for the government to remove an incorrect registration on a foreign government’s systems, resulting in someone always getting searched or detained when they visit that country.

“As a citizen, you must be able to assume that the government will handle your data with care. Especially if you are unaware that your data is being shared and with whom,” Van Zutphen said. “I am very concerned about this and would now like to know whether this is sufficiently guaranteed.”

According to Van Zutphen, people who suspect they have a CTER registration don’t know where to go out to confirm this, find out why, and file a dispute. “We speak to citizens who feel like they are being sent from pillar to post. That is unacceptable,” the Ombudsman said. “Every citizen has the right to be heard if they suspect that their rights are being violated. And that starts with knowing where you can go for that.”