The Dutch parliament has voted in favour of a motion that will require government bodies to research and record the “cultural and religious” values held by Dutch nationals with roots abroad.

The three Christian parties and the Socialists sided with the right-wing government to back the motion, drawn up by VVD parliamentarian Bente Becker.

The motion calls on the government to “keep details of the cultural and religious norms and values held by Dutch people with an immigration background”. The government’s socio-cultural think-tank SCP, the motion states, should publish regular reports about this.

In her motion, Becker refers to the national statistics office CBS which, she points out, already carries out research into the relationship between ethnicity, level of education and crime.

Nevertheless, in its newest report on the state of Dutch society, the CBS highlights that native Dutch people are least likely to have contact with people from outside their socio-economic and ethnic group, and are most likely to be negative about cultural diversity.

GroenLinks-PvdA, Denk, Volt, the pro-animal PvdD and D66 were the only four parties to vote against the motion.

Immigration expert and professor Leo Lucassen said the motion is hypocritical. “While the ‘real’ Dutch are pelting local officials who want to help refugees with fireworks, migrants and their descendants remain permanently under suspicion and are only conditionally Dutch,” he said on LinkedIn.

Lawyers have also said the motion contravenes article 1 of the Dutch constitution.

Jewish registration

Becker’s motion is particularly controversial because during World War II, Jews were required to register their religion with the population registry. This efficient Dutch system was the main reason 75% of Dutch Jews were rounded up and killed in concentration camps.

Leiden university historian Nadia Bourassaid the motion illustrated the government’s “dystopian vision of integration”.

“The government supervises the cultural and religious norms and values of Dutch people with a migration background,” she said, describing the plan. “The government as Big Brother to control personal convictions and possibly suppress them.”