Children’s charity Defence for Children has expressed serious concern over reports that 10 children were subjected to violence or placed in restraints such as bodycuffs and tie wraps when being deported from the Netherlands in 2024.

The findings, revealed by investigative platform Argos, have prompted the children’s rights organisation to call for an independent inquiry.

“There are signals of disproportionate and potentially traumatising acts against children,” said director Mirjam Blaak. “We believe this is unacceptable. Children should never be exposed to unnecessary or excessive violence. That is not only morally wrong, it is also in violation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.”

The Dutch border police (marechaussee) confirmed to Argos that violence was reported in 10 deportation cases involving minors this year. The age of the children was not revealed, and the service said, it aims to avoid the use of force and prefers a humane, de-escalating approach.

The criticism, said Blaak, is not directed at individual border police officers but at the framework in which they work. “We recognise staff operate within policy rules. Precisely for that reason, those rules must be scrutinised,” she said.

The organisation is calling on the government to commission an independent investigation into deportation practices involving children, and to evaluate the policies around the detention and forced returns of minors, in line with international treaties.

Blaak stressed that children’s rights are not an option but an obligation under international law.

“A child who has to leave already loses all prospects in the Netherlands,” she said.  “If, on top of that, restraint or force is used, we are no longer talking about a careful procedure but about a damaging system. As far as we are concerned, the border police should never use violence against children,” she said.

In total, the police used violence or physical restraints in 199 deportations last year, Argos said.