Immigrant agent relatively often involved in corruption

Agents, customs officers and military police with a migration background are relatively more involved in bribery and other integrity violations. They are particularly vulnerable, because criminals are relatively more often walking around in their usually extensive family and acquaintances circle who actively approach them. During screening of staff, insufficient attention was paid to their social origin.

This is what the Ministry of Security and Justice's Scientific Research and Documentation Center (WODC) writes in new research. This shows that law enforcement officers with a migration background in the police, customs, military police and FIOD are overrepresented in breaches of integrity. Within the police force, 40 percent of these cases involve someone with a migration background, while this group accounts for only 7 percent of the workforce. In absolute numbers, this concerns at least 19 cases among 4,500 agents with a migration background.\

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Mark M.
In most cases, these are agents from 'basic teams' in the neighborhoods, who are under poor management. They are relatively young or at most middle-aged. Furthermore, around the turn of the century, the requirements were too low in the effort to attract people with a migration background. They did not always have sufficient qualities. This was compensated for with extra tutoring in a 'link class', but within the police it was soon given the name 'ethnic minority class'. According to the WODC, this did not promote integration into the force and "put them in a vulnerable situation."

The reason for investigating integrity issues is the case of Mark M., the 'police officer' who passed on confidential information to criminals. After a parliamentary debate on these and other corruption cases, the Minister of Security and Justice, then Ard van der Steur (VVD), requested scientific research.

The study reveals a total of 256 'signals' of serious integrity violations over the 2012-2016 period, of which more than 200 were reported to the police. Upon further investigation, 80 of them could be linked to organized crime.

Large social networks
Police staff accounted for the lion's share, which is partly explained by the fact that the police are the largest of the organizations investigated. Another explanation "lies in the fact that police officers operate more on the street and in the immediate vicinity of criminals." Furthermore, the reorganization means that the police are 'less far' than the other organizations with 'risk assessment and awareness of vulnerabilities'.

According to the WODC, the involvement of agents with a migration background is related to the large social networks in the family and acquaintances circle of which they are part. "Given the relatively high involvement of some ethnic groups in (organized) crime, the chance that officials with a migration background in their large network know someone from the criminal environment is greater than among native Dutch officials."

Another factor is that criminal organizations no longer shun the government. They seek active contact with law enforcement officers. Thieves with a migration background 'run an increased risk of being approached from organized crime'. Their double loyalty, to their social contacts and to the employer, is then put to the test.

The police leadership is aiming for a 25 percent influx of people with a 'diversity background' . That is difficult to realize, research by agency Motivaction showed earlier this week, because the police are of low regard to young people from that target group. Outgoing Minister Stef Blok (VVD) said this Tuesday in the House of Representatives that nevertheless the aim remains 'to give the police a more mixed composition, also with gays, lesbians and side entrants'.

Improvement:In an earlier version of this article it was stated that it concerned 30 cases among 4,500 agents with a migration background. That is incorrect. It concerns 19 cases. This error stems from the fact that the WOCD report deals with the integrity violations of all law enforcement organizations and not just the police. Of the 256 integrity violation signals at all law enforcement organizations, only a part can be legally proven. This concerns 47 cases with the police. Agents with a migration background are involved in 40% of these cases (19).