Government proposes unified national discrimination reporting system to improve victim support
The Dutch government is launching a public consultation on a new national discrimination reporting point to simplify reporting and ensure consistent support for victims. This change aims to address current gaps in funding and awareness, making it easier for citizens to seek help and justice.
| Key Data Point | Details |
|---|---|
| New System | Single national reporting point with local offices |
| Current System | 18 anti-discrimination agencies with 27 local offices (Discriminatie.nl) |
| Funding Source | Central government (uniform funding) |
| Consultation Period | March 23, 2026 – May 1, 2026 |
| Expected Implementation | 2028 |
| Key Stakeholders | Discriminatie.nl, VNG, National Coordinator against Discrimination (NCDR) |
| Access Points | Online, phone, and physical locations |
The Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations oversees policies related to social cohesion and anti-discrimination efforts in the Netherlands. This draft bill reflects the ministry’s role in ensuring equal treatment and access to justice for all citizens by standardizing support systems.
Happy with Openrijk?
Then support us with a small contribution
Read the full translated article below
Public consultation launched for new national discrimination reporting point
To better report discrimination and provide faster support to victims, the cabinet is working on a single, nationally recognisable reporting point. This reporting point will register complaints, support victims and work on preventing discrimination. To formalise this, Minister Heerma of the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations has submitted the draft bill on Assistance in Cases of Discrimination for public consultation. Everyone can now respond to the plans for the national reporting point via the online consultation.
Current system bottlenecks
Currently, municipalities decide where residents can report discrimination. Most municipalities do this through the national association Discriminatie.nl. This association has 18 anti-discrimination agencies with 27 local offices across the country. Since 2024, these anti-discrimination agencies have used the same name for their reporting points: Discriminatie.nl. This system of reporting points has several issues. For example, there are differences in service provision because the agencies are funded by municipalities. Some agencies receive more funding and can therefore offer more services than others. In addition, people face barriers to reporting discrimination. Research shows that reporting points are not always well known and that people sometimes have little confidence in the usefulness of making a report. The Assistance in Cases of Discrimination Act aims to address these and other bottlenecks.
New national structure
Instead of the current system with many separate and different agencies, there will be a single national organisation to coordinate reports and provide support. The local reporting points will remain. The Act ensures that the new national organisation is funded by the central government, guaranteeing uniform service provision and quality across all local reporting points. The new structure should make it easier to report discrimination. There will be a single recognisable reporting point where people can turn to, both physically and online or by phone. Help will also be provided in the same way everywhere, which should contribute to a more effective approach to discrimination. The draft bill was drawn up in consultation with, among others, the current association of anti-discrimination services (Discriminatie.nl), municipalities (VNG) and the National Coordinator against Discrimination and Racism (NCDR).
Proactive disclosure
To comply with the Open Government Act, the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations is proactively publishing documents relating to this draft bill. Via this timeline you can follow the internal documents and see how the draft bill was developed. For example, you can view minutes of meetings between the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and other involved organisations. This extra transparency fits with the societal importance of the topic of (anti-)discrimination and the key role of anti-discrimination services.
Consultation period
The draft bill is open for consultation online until May 1, 2026 and can be found here. Everyone is warmly invited to respond, particularly the civil society organisations involved in tackling discrimination and all other stakeholders. The Act is expected to enter into force in 2028.