127 descendants of enslaved people have requested their surname be changed

Descendants of people who were used as slaves have made 127 requests to change their surname up to May 2024. Of these, 88 requests were granted, and in 23 cases, the name was changed officially, NSC Minister of Interior Affairs Judith Uitermark said in a letter to the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament.

The temporary arrangement to change a person’s name for free came into effect on July 1, 2024. It is one of the measures taken as a result of the Netherlands recognizing its history of slavery as a crime against humanity.

People who were made slaves were often given a surname, which referred to the slave owner or the plantation that they worked on. People who want to get rid of this name can submit a request to the government institute of Justis.

Uitermark thinks that the arrangement has made a “successful start” in The Netherlands. But as far as she is concerned, more is being done to bring the scheme to the attention of the target group. The scheme will also be introduced on Bonaire, Sint-Eustatius, and Saba. This will be achieved by the end of 2025 at the latest, the minister reported.

Descendants were also able to change their surname in the past, but that cost over 800 euros, and the person had to prove to a psychologist that they felt burdened by the name.