AMSTERDAM 

Ethnic minorities in the Netherlands still face discrimination in various walks of life, a UN committee said in a report on Thursday.

The report on racism in the Netherlands by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) said minorities encounter racism in education, health, business, and social services, while it is most widespread in encounters with the police.

It underlined that political debate over migrants and minority groups also play a role in rising racial discrimination.

The Netherlands showed progress in fighting racism, and the number of expressions involving racism and hate speeches on online platforms has fallen, the report added.

More improvements are needed as concerns about ethnic profiling continue, said the report.

The UN committee advised the Dutch government to increase the visibility of ethnic minorities in the public sphere and enact laws to prevent ethnic profiling.

​​​​​​​* Writing by Dilan Pamuk in Ankara