Zakelijk, Arbeid, Schade
Particulier
Bank terminate account due to lack of relations with the Netherlands?
I have opened a bank account (current and savings) with ING Bank in 2017, when I was living in the Netherlands. I've left the Netherlands in 2018 and communicated my new address abroad (in Switzerland) to ING and kept my account. I use the account for receiving money and making payments. I always have a positive balance and pay my bank fees on time.
In 2022, ING contacted me to prove my relations to the Netherlands (for example a Dutch nationality, a Dutch address or work contract) in order to maintain my account. I replied that I do not have any such relation to the Netherlands but that I'm an EU citizen of which I shared proof. For ING this was not sufficient. I then pointed out EU laws according to which EU citizens have the right to basic banking services in every EU country and asked to at the very least maintain my current account. ING maintained their right to terminate the banking relationship at any time and then made reference to the national money laundering and terrorism financing act. I then requested information on which transaction on my accounts they suspect to fall under the act in order to give me a chance to disprove their suspicion (I'm an EU citizen, do not live in a country on the terrorism financing list or receive/send money to such a country, and work as public servant, so the suspicion is not clear to me at all). To this request I have never received a response from ING and my account was closed without further notice in January 2023.
The money on my account is currently with ING and I can only get it back if I provide a certified copy of my ID, of which I would have to cover the cost myself.
I strongly feel that ING's practice discriminates against EU citizens in violation of EU directive 2014/92/EU. What is your assessment of this situation? I'd also like to know whether the bank can terminate my account with reference to the Dutch money laundering act without providing any further details on the allegation or opportunity to appeal against the decision?
In 2022, ING contacted me to prove my relations to the Netherlands (for example a Dutch nationality, a Dutch address or work contract) in order to maintain my account. I replied that I do not have any such relation to the Netherlands but that I'm an EU citizen of which I shared proof. For ING this was not sufficient. I then pointed out EU laws according to which EU citizens have the right to basic banking services in every EU country and asked to at the very least maintain my current account. ING maintained their right to terminate the banking relationship at any time and then made reference to the national money laundering and terrorism financing act. I then requested information on which transaction on my accounts they suspect to fall under the act in order to give me a chance to disprove their suspicion (I'm an EU citizen, do not live in a country on the terrorism financing list or receive/send money to such a country, and work as public servant, so the suspicion is not clear to me at all). To this request I have never received a response from ING and my account was closed without further notice in January 2023.
The money on my account is currently with ING and I can only get it back if I provide a certified copy of my ID, of which I would have to cover the cost myself.
I strongly feel that ING's practice discriminates against EU citizens in violation of EU directive 2014/92/EU. What is your assessment of this situation? I'd also like to know whether the bank can terminate my account with reference to the Dutch money laundering act without providing any further details on the allegation or opportunity to appeal against the decision?