News from Europe

Two Christian pro-life organisations have experienced “debanking”

As reported by CNE on June 12, two Christian pro-life organizations in Sweden and the Netherlands have experienced "debanking." Mats Selander, founder of the Center for Bioethical Reform in Sweden (CBR-S), was forced to end his 30-year relationship with Scandinavian Bank Nordea.

 

The bank also closed his private account, citing “not enough customer knowledge,” despite Selander having disclosed all his transactions. He believes this action is due to his pro-life views. Increased regulations have led many banks to close accounts based on customers’ beliefs.

Selander’s issues began in 2022 when Nordea requested information about his business account transactions. Despite providing the required details, he was asked to close the account for “lack of customer knowledge.” Selander was perplexed, as he had disclosed all transaction details and motives. “Something I said must have upset them. Do they really think we’re involved in money laundering?” he told CNE.

Nordea transferred CBR-Sweden’s funds to Selander’s private account, forcing him to use it for business transactions after clearing his private savings. When he applied for business accounts at other banks, they refused, citing his use of a private account for business purposes.

A year and a half later, Nordea informed Selander they would close his private account for the same reason of “not enough customer knowledge.” “When banks shut down private accounts, it’s very scary. This threatens democracy. It’s economic persecution, and we must fight it!” he said in a CNE interview.

In the Netherlands, Kees van Helden, national coordinator of the Kies Leven Association (Choose Life), was denied a business account by several banks, including Rabobank, ING, and Bunq. Only Bunq provided a specific reason, stating his “goal doesn’t fit.” Bunq explained to CNE: “Certain activities fall outside our risk appetite, including ideological or political activism.”

Source: cne.news

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