Police officer convicted of racism appointed head of immigration force in Dutch city

Appointment of police officer who previously used racist remarks towards public 'shameful,' says parliamentary group leader of Denk Party

ROTTERDAM (AA) - A police officer in the Netherlands convicted and fined for racist remarks has reportedly been appointed head of the Rotterdam Immigration Police.

Speaking to Anadolu on Wednesday, Farid Azarkan, the parliamentary group leader of the Denk Party, which is popular with ethnic Turks and immigrants, described the appointment of a police officer who used racist remarks towards the public as "shameful."

Azarkan pointed to Rotterdam Police Chief Fred Westerbeke, who said "there is no place for racism in the police organization."

"What value do the chief's words hold, then? This appointment undermines the recent commitment to combat racism and discrimination within the police organization, and it erodes the credibility of senior officials in the police organization," Azarkan said.

The new immigration police head is said to have used racist remarks during an incident in the city of Dordrecht in 2020, Dutch daily Algemeen Dagblad reported Tuesday.

The Immigration Police, responsible for investigating the identities and residence rights of foreign nationals in the country, carries out investigations related to crimes such as human trafficking and identity fraud.

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