Complaints of discrimination on the rise in the Netherlands

The number of official complaints made to Dutch anti-discrimination offices increased by more than five percent last year.
There were 6391 complaints in 2011, the fourth year in a row that the total number has risen. The greatest increase was in the number of people complaining of racial discrimination. There were also slight rises in the number of complaints about discrimination on the grounds of age or gender. Complaints regarding sexual orientation, religion and political views all fell slightly.
The group responsible for coordinating the Dutch complaints offices system, MDRA, say there is a noticeable increase in problems connected to the employment market. The group also claims that the number of official complaints is just the tip of the iceberg. Many people who experience discrimination in the Netherlands do not report it, either because they believe a report won’t make any difference or because they are scared of possible repercussions.