Scientists studying climate change, migration often threatened; 59 under extra security

Between November 2022 and December 2023, 59 scientists and university staff were placed under security due to threats, according to the Monitor on external intimidation, hatred, and threats against scientists. Those studying climate change, the Israel-Gaza situation, and migration are relatively often targeted. Women and young researchers are also popular targets, the Telegraaf reports.

Security measures ranged from removing contact details on websites to physically moving people, according to the monitor published by the scientific organization Universities of the Netherlands (UNL), the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). The organizations set up a hotline for threatened scientists at the end of 2022.

According to the organizations, growth in activism and a blurring of norms in society and state are partly to blame for the rise in threats. Scientists working on “sensitive” topics like climate change, migration, diversity, colonization, and the Israel-Gaza situation often attract threats, Jaap Weijermans, head of integrated safety at the University of Amsterdam, told the newspaper. And that makes them reluctant to communicate publicly about their work. “Scientists no longer always dare to speak freely or go to interviews or talk shows.”

The results of the monitor are unacceptable, UNL chairman Caspar van den Berg said. “It is horrible for the people involved and alarming for society if scientists have to worry about their safety and are less willing to go public. Precisely because science is increasingly being questioned, it is important that scientists feel safe to communicate well,” he told the Telegraaf.