Netherlands
Country notes
The Netherlands entered the trans-Atlantic slave trade in the early 17th century, becoming heavily involved through the Dutch West India Company. Dutch traders transported around 550,000 Africans from regions in present-day Ghana, Angola, and the Ivory Coast. The primary destinations for these slaves were Dutch colonies in the Caribbean, such as Suriname, Curaçao, and Aruba, as well as in South America. The Dutch used enslaved Africans to work on sugar, coffee, and cotton plantations, contributing significantly to the wealth of the Dutch Golden Age. The Netherlands abolished the trans-Atlantic slave trade in 1814, and slavery itself was officially abolished in 1863, although enslaved people in Suriname were required to serve a ten-year transition period of “state apprenticeship” before gaining full freedom.
Recognition and apology
The Netherlands has acknowledged its involvement and role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade and in slavery. In 2021, the then-Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte presented the long awaited government’s position on this. And, on December 19, 2022, Netherlands formally apologised for participating in and profiting from the horrific transatlantic trade of enslaved people.
Speaking at the National Archives in The Hague, Mr. Mark Rutte apologised on behalf of his government for his country’s role in slavery, calling it “ugly, painful, and even downright shameful”.
The Dutch King, Willem-Alexander personally apologised for the colonial-era slavery saying, “On this day we remember the Dutch history of slavery, I ask forgiveness for this crime against humanity.”
Making amends
The Dutch government announced a number of steps and came up with initiatives which it hopes that will address the continued legacy and pain of the slavery-era. The initiatives include at municipal level and funding for educational programs.
Nevertheless, there has been no formal reparations program either announced or put on the table.
