In the Netherlands, ethnic minorities are more often subject to police controls than white Dutch citizens. It is a form of discrimination and a violation of human rights, and may increase radicalization.

The third dialogue on human rights took place on January 26 in the Dutch House of Representatives, concerning solutions for ethnic profiling. Paul van Musscher, the chief of police for The Hague, acknowledged during the dialogue that ethnic profiling is a problem in the Netherlands and it may contribute to radicalization.

Stop forms

Police officers, politicians and experts from abroad showed examples of effective combating of ethnic profiling. One suggestion that has proved its worth in many European locations is the stop form, a receipt or record detailing the exchange between the police and person or persons stopped.

In Spain and the United Kingdom, among other countries, stop forms have been effective in combating ethnic profiling and increasing the efficacy of the police.

It is remarkable that Conservatives in the United Kingdom joined efforts in the field of ethnic profiling. Members of Parliament were especially in dialogue with the expert about this specific best practice.

'A problem in blue'

In his contribution to the Human Rights Dialogue, Dr. Sinan Çankaya of Vrije Universiteit showed that ethnic profiling is not effective. The police should stop people on the basis of behavior and reasonable suspicion, and not on the basis of looks and prejudices.

His research showed that when already scarce police resources are used for ethnic profiling, they are not being used to find perpetrators and, thus, tax money is spent the wrong way. Ethnic profiling — and the lack of police explanation during a stop — leads to a disturbed relationship between police and ethnic minority groups.

Be it real or alleged, real or imagined, the impact of ethnic profiling is huge. The Dutch police are very courageous in acknowledging there is a problem. At the same time, the signals given by society have become so urgent that police will have to act. More Mohammed and Myriam does help. But at the same time: more color is no guarantee for success.

Ethnic profiling is not a white problem, and it is not caused by white cops: it is a problem in blue. Mechanisms and the culture within the police force intensify this. Racism is overt, but also unintentional or unconscious.

Since the seventies of the last century, the police force has made efforts to increase diversity within their own organization, but without results. In fact, many police officers of a Turkish of Moroccan background leave the police force too soon, disillusioned.

Ethnic profiling & radicalization

Paul van Musscher acknowledged during the Human Rights Dialogue that ethnic profiling is a problem in the Netherlands and that cases and feelings of ethnic profiling may contribute to radicalization.

Just like anyone else in society, the police have their prejudices. One should be able to think and discuss this freely.

Van Musscher pointed out that the police want to be there for each and everyone, to tackle racism within and by the police forces, and are willing to consider all measures that can combat discrimination by the police. The main tools to bring change here are the training of existing and new officers, and the recruitment and selection of ethnic minorities.

Being questioned on the issues, Van Musscher doesn't exclude the use of stop forms anymore, but remains skeptical about the practice of "naming and shaming."

If, however, there are officers who are deliberately discriminating, they must be thrown out of the police organization. Bad jokes are a part of a bad work culture; the police acknowledge this and are trying to get this issue into the open and to change it.

Politicians should take action

Sir Simon Hughes, the former secretary of justice in the United Kingdom, tries to imagine how it feels to be stopped solely on the basis of appearance. The 2011 census shows that 13 percent of the British population qualifies as non-white.

Hughes tells about his experiences and measures as state secretary and as a parliamentary representative of a constituency in London. He shows what politicians can do and mentions a number of policy measurements that proved overwhelmingly effective in the United Kingdom, including bodycams, neighborhood watch citizens that get in touch with the police and, most of all, stop forms.

Stop forms force police officers to give an explanation. The officer is not only expected to tell why he or she put someone at the side, but also share this explanation. Stop forms help fight ethnic profiling and, moreover, help to increase the efficacy of the police organization.

Hughes states that ethnic profiling is not only an issue in big cities, but the phenomenon also should have attention outside urban areas. It is remarkable that in the United Kingdom it is not only Labour, the Green Party and the Liberal-Democrats that have taken action in the field of ethnic profiling, but - especially - the British Conservatives that have worked hard to tackle the squandering of the money by fighting ethnic profiling and the introduction of stop forms.

Stop forms are effective

The Spanish police officer David Martín-Abanades contributes to the Human Rights Dialogue by showing how stop forms have made police work more effective and fairer abroad.

Disproportionate checking of ethnic minorities has decreased. At the same time, the total number of checks declined, and the number of controls followed up by an arrest increased.

The "bureaucracy argument" is invalid, according to Martín-Abanades. Filling out a stop form takes little time and, in the end, it even results into visible time savings.

At first, Spanish cops were skeptical, but the tide has turned and they are remarkably positive now. The officer feels more legitimacy about an arrest. Moreover, the stop form data offer important insights into the motives why people are stopped. There is both transparency and accountability.

The Human Rights Dialogue

The Human Rights Dialogue is an initiative of, among others, Cordaid, the Dutch section of the International Commission of Jurists (NJCM), the Study & Information Center Human Rights and Dietz, Dröge & Van Loo. The Human Rights Dialogue is held twice a year and allows national and international experts from the field to highlight a theme concerning human rights for a moment. After this, there is an exchange of thoughts between the members of Parliament and those invited.

The purpose of the Human Rights Dialogue is to make Dutch human rights issues part and parcel of the shaping of thoughts and opinions in the Dutch House of Representatives.