Justice
Ombudsman Raises Alarm Over Discrimination of Wagon Dwellers: 'Shockingly Little Progress'
National Ombudsman Reinier van Zutphen issued a letter to the Dutch cabinet stating that wagon dwellers, including Sinti, Roma, and travelers, continue to face normalized discrimination in employment, housing, and insurance. He criticized the government for lacking urgency and relying on negative stereotypes rather than protecting rights, noting that despite the formal end of extinction policies in 2018, few new sites are available. This follows a 2024 court ruling that Den Haag discriminated against these groups by failing to provide sufficient parking spaces. Although the city’s new coalition has allocated ten million euros to create sites and recognize wagon dwelling as a valid housing form, Van Zutphen warns that municipalities still struggle with costs and resistance, urging ministers to address stigmatization broadly and grant minority status to protect their culture.
Ozetta summarises; the reporting is the newsroom's