The number of complaints about discrimination increased in Drenthe last year. In 2020, 80 reports were made to the Drenthe hotlines and the police, compared to 125 in 2021.
This is evident from the North Netherlands Discrimination Monitor 2021. An explanation for the increase is the increase in reports of discrimination by the government. The complaints were mainly related to the corona measures taken by the government to prevent the spread of the virus.
The complainants felt discriminated against by, for example, the mouth caps, the vaccination policy and the corona admission ticket. Conversations with reporters showed that there was a lot of mistrust. Reporters also often indicated that they had nowhere to go with their complaint. According to Meldpunt Discriminatie Drenthe, they experienced that they were excluded, for example because they were unable to wear a face mask for medical reasons and yet were not allowed access to certain places.
Discrimination from the government is the most frequently reported form in Drenthe. In 2020 there were 8 complaints about this, last year this increased to 53 reports. This concerns a total of 42 percent of all reports.
The number of complaints about discrimination on the basis of a disability or chronic illness increased from 10 to 22 in Drenthe last year, while fewer reports were made about racism. The latter fell from 47 reports in 2020 to 31 complaints last year. The Reporting Center for Discrimination Drenthe informs that it only registers the reports. Whether it actually concerns discrimination is up to other authorities.
Racism is the most common form of discrimination throughout the Northern Netherlands, only in Drenthe that is not the case. In the Northern Netherlands, almost a third of all reports are about racism, in our province that is a quarter. According to Meldpunt Discrimination Drenthe, racism mainly takes place at work, at school, on the street and online. Victims are also confronted with this ‘more than once’.