A Dictionary of Dutchness

Bibob

The Wet bevordering integriteitsbeoordelingen door het openbaar bestuur (fortunately shortened to Bibob in most instances), came into force in 2003. It gives local authorities the right to refuse grants, permits or building contracts to organisations or businesses suspected of involvement in crime. It is mostly used to check the integrity of people in the sex industry, such as brothel owners, and in the soft drugs trade. The Bibob bureau has carried out hundreds of integrity checks and, in the majority of cases, concluded that there were criminal links. Amsterdam’s most famous brothel, Yab Yum, was shut down because of the Bibob law.