Human Rights threatened by Poverty in the Netherlands

The College of Human Rights think poverty reduction should be higher up on the political agenda and the government should develop a national program to tackle poverty, they stated in a report issued on Wednesday. Human rights such as right to education, employment, health and housing are threatened by citizens' lack of monetary means.

The organization says poverty can cause unhealthy dietary habits, living in unwholesome neighborhoods or avoiding proper (medical) care when necessary. According to them, the numbers as are visibly problematic. They found approximately 2.5 million people in the Netherlands have low levels of literacy, many of them are poor for a prolonged period, have health problems and are less involved in society and politics.

AD reports that the college asked research center GFK to investigate Dutch citizen's lived experience, which found that 80 percent of people who consider themselves poor thinks this affects their perception of dignity. "If people feel like they do not belong, this could lead to societal unrest and loss of trust in institutions such as the government and the judiciary", the College of Human Rights' President Adriana van Dooijeweert argued.