Dutch PM Rob Jetten apologises for the mistreatment of first-generation Malukans in Europe, prompting calls for tangible change
4-MIN READ4-MINResty Woro YuniarPublished: 10:00am, 28 Jun 2026A recent apology by the Dutch prime minister to the Netherlands’ Malukan community for systemic mistreatment by the state has met with mixed responses; some welcomed the remorse while others demanded concrete action over symbolic words.On June 21, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten formally apologised to members of the 75,000-strong Malukan community for the state’s mistreatment of the first generation of Malukans who arrived in Europe 75 years ago from the Maluku Islands in Indonesia, historically known as the Spice Islands.“For the inadequate reception and housing. For being unseen and abandoned. For the unfulfilled longing for home. And for the grief and pain in so many families. For this, I offer my apologies today on behalf of the Dutch government,” Jetten said, as quoted by international media.
Jetten was unveiling Ulu Kora, a monument dedicated to the Malukan diaspora, on the Lloydkade in Rotterdam, the port where the first ships transporting Malukans docked in 1951.
“I realise the injustice cannot be suddenly removed with apologies. We cannot change the course of history and the reality of today with a few sentences,” Jetten said. “But I do hope that the words I just spoke are perceived as a form of recognition and an act of historical justice for you.”
Jetten did not say what other actions the government would take following the apology, which marked the latest in a series of major historical reckonings by the Dutch leadership.
