Dutch migrant churches face difficulties with banks

This reports the Dutch daily Nederlands Dagblad, after speaking with the 'Samen Kerk in Nederland' (Joint Church in the Netherlands, SKIN), which represents the interests of international and migrant churches.

These churches also encounter bank checks on money saved in existing accounts. Or they receive questions about the origin of the money because churches are allegedly vulnerable to money laundering or the criminal circuit.

According to coordinator Madelon Grant, financial institutions such as banks work with a so-called 'risk countries' list. According to coordinator Madelon Grant, financial institutions such as banks work with a list of risk countries. These countries have a repressive regime or are suspected of financing drug trafficking, crime and terrorism. "If you, as a church leader, come from such a country or have ties with it, many banks first conduct a lengthy investigation, sometimes lasting up to two years, and then send a rejection without giving any reasons. Or they don't let us hear from them again."

There are also questions being asked when a migrant church wants to financially support a project in the country of origin. According to Grant, it mostly concerns congregations linked to countries from the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. "We received these signals, and a survey of migrant churches showed that these problems are much more widespread."

According to a spokesperson of the Dutch Ministry of Finance, there has been more attention to these checks "since the fines imposed on ABN Amro and ING for inadequate money-laundering controls".