JustitiMinister wants a ban on religious expressions for boas

Extraordinary investigating officers (BOAs) will soon no longer be allowed to wear a headscarf, cross or other visible religious symbols during working hours. Justice minister David van Weel (VVD) has a measure on Wednesday announced who has to capture the « neutral appearance of the boa uniform ». The Council of State still has to issue an advice on this.

« The moment a BOA attracts the uniform, he radiates the neutrality that belongs to the function, » says Van Weel. « That is why there should be no expression of faith or beliefs in the BOA uniform. »

If the prohibition comes into effect effectively, Van Weel passes municipalities. Not the national government, but municipalities are the employers of enforcers. Various municipalities have decided in recent years that boas can bear visible religious expressions. It concerns Arnhem, Tilburg, The Hague, Groningen and Amsterdam. Among other things, they hope that women with a headscarf want to register faster for a BOA course. Many a municipality is struggling with a shortage of enforcers.

They are not very worried about neutrality. For example, the Amsterdam College wrote in one letter of council That all municipal employees are « professional and impartial » enough to be able to do their work, regardless of their appearance.

‘Wonderful state of affairs’

The ban is not unexpected. Van Weel’s predecessor at the Ministry of Justice, Dilan Yesilgöz (VVD), already announced the measure in the spring of 2024. Both the Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG) and some individual municipalities regretted that announcement at the time. « A wonderful state of affairs: the minister is not about the clothing of boas, » wrote the VNG. A national guideline has been in place since 2022, but municipalities do not have to adhere to it.

In the coalition agreement From PVV, VVD, NSC and BBB, the coalition parties wrote last September that there was an urgent « action plan » because « the existing national directive may be deviated from. » “Citizens must be able to trust that the
government approaches everyone in the same way. ”

To share

Mail the editors