WILLEMSTAD – Discrimination based on skin color, origin, and ethnic background remains the largest category within discrimination-related criminal cases handled by the Openbaar Ministerie in the Netherlands.
That conclusion comes from the newly released report Strafbare Discriminatie in Beeld 2025 published by the Public Prosecution Service.
According to the report, a total of 141 specific discrimination-related offenses were registered in 2025. In 41 percent of the cases, the discrimination was based on “race,” the legal term that also includes skin color, ancestry, and ethnic origin.
Within that category, thirty cases specifically involved discrimination against Black people.
The report also registered 21 incidents related to migration background, including insulting and discriminatory remarks directed at foreigners and asylum seekers.
Several examples of racist insults and threats are included in the report. Victims were reportedly subjected to statements such as “cancer Black person” and “go back to your country.”
The report states that antisemitism also remains a significant category within discrimination cases, although the number of antisemitic incidents declined compared to the previous year.
Another notable finding is the growing connection between discrimination and violent offenses.
According to the Public Prosecution Service, discrimination is increasingly linked to threats, assaults, and other forms of violence.
Since July 2025, the Netherlands has implemented a new legal aggravating circumstance for crimes in which discrimination plays a role. Under the new legislation, judges can impose heavier sentences when acts of violence are accompanied by racist or discriminatory expressions.
The Public Prosecution Service emphasized that discrimination does not only affect individual victims but also places broader pressure on society and social cohesion.
The findings come amid continuing discussions in the Kingdom of the Netherlands about racism, discrimination, and equal treatment, issues that also regularly resonate within Caribbean communities connected to the Kingdom, including Curaçao.