Dutch slavery apology sparks backlash as Britain weighs its own words
Five years after the Netherlands formally apologized for its role in the transatlantic slave trade, the move has divided the country and offered a cautionary tale for London.
By Leah Thompson ·
Britain is moving toward its first formal state apology for slavery, a process that mirrors a path the Netherlands began five years ago. Andy Burnham has pledged to seek a structured dialogue with former colonies to shape the UK’s statement. This tentative step follows Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s attempts to initiate a historic shift alongside the royal family. King Charles repeated customary expressions of profound personal sorrow this week, falling short of a direct apology.
The Dutch experience provides a preview of the potential fallout. Apologizing did not settle the past for everyone and prompted political backlash. It also caused disillusion among many descendants and sparked a debate over the definition of justice. Linda Nooitmeer, former chair of the National Institute for the Study of Dutch Slavery and its Legacy, described the 2021 apologies as sincere and the right gestures. She noted they restored the humanity of ancestors who had been dehumanized. However, she argued that real change regarding the rights of people of African descent remained an open issue.
Merchants during the Dutch Golden Age trafficked an estimated 600,000 enslaved Africans across the Atlantic to Suriname and Curaçao. Another 660,000 to 1 million were moved across the Indian Ocean and the East Indies. By the 1770s, wealth derived from slavery generated more than 10% of the GDP of the province of Holland. Kings William III, IV, and V made what equates to 545 million euros, or 465 million pounds, from the trade between 1675 and 1770.
The Netherlands was among the last European powers to outlaw slavery. It legally abolished the practice in Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean on July 1, 1863. Full freedom came in 1873. Afro-Surinamese and Afro-Caribbean campaigners demanded accountability in the 1980s. The political trigger arrived in 2020 with protests following the murder of George Floyd in the United States. Activist Patrick Mathurin stated that their activism forced the Dutch to look at their history.
On July 1, 2021, Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema delivered a direct apology during Keti Koti commemorations. She said Amsterdam’s involvement was direct, large-scale, and protracted. The city’s wealth was indivisible from persistent racism. Apologies from Rotterdam, Utrecht, The Hague, and the Dutch central bank followed. Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who previously said a national apology would polarize society, delivered a landmark speech at the Dutch National Archives in December 2022. He recognized slavery as a crime against humanity and apologized on behalf of the government.
King Willem-Alexander asked for forgiveness in Amsterdam’s Oosterpark on July 1, 2023. He said he felt the weight of the words in his heart and soul. Activists and descendants criticized Rutte’s declaration as hasty and paternalistic. Roy Kaikusi Groenberg of the Honour and Recovery Foundation called it a neocolonial belch. The government ruled out direct financial reparations but established a 200 million euro fund. This money supports educational programs, historical research, and community grants.
Nooitmeer warned that apologies could become mirrors and crystals, the symbolic trinkets used to buy enslaved people. She asked when the government would be ready to discuss the economic side of reparations. She said community ownership of the process was lacking. Sjoerd van Heck of Ipsos I&O reported that only 31% of the Dutch public supported a national apology in 2021. Support rose to 40% by 2023, but 46% remained opposed. Geert Wilders, who pledged to rewrite school textbooks to emphasize national achievements, led his Freedom party to a shock victory in the 2023 elections. A National Slavery Museum, backed by 80 million euros, is due to open in 2030.
