Dutch government under fire for plan to ask race and religion of gun licence applicants
Plan has been criticised by privacy groups, but proponents says it’s needed following a string of attacks blamed on Islamic extremists across Europe
The Dutch government is facing a storm of protest over plans to register the race and religion of people applying for gun licences.
The requirements, contained in a bill set to be introduced in the lower house of the Dutch parliament next month, would also require the state to compile information on an applicant’s political and philosophical views.
The changes are being made to comply with a tightened European directive on the possession of weapons, after a series of attacks blamed on Islamic extremists across the continent in recent years.
But critics, including privacy campaigners and members of two of the parties in the Dutch coalition government – the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and D66 – say the cabinet, which proposed the legislation, has gone beyond the EU’s requirements.
Monica den Boer, an MP for the liberal D66 party, told the Dutch daily newspaper De Volkskrant: “We must not exceed this privacy limit. According to the minimum requirements of the European directive, it is also not necessary at all. We do not promote discrimination and ethnic profiling, so these special personal details have to be removed from the bill.”