Report Finds That 2021 Saw Surge Of Racist Crimes In France
In 2021, French security services saw a surge in racist, xenophobic, and anti-religious offenses, the Interior Ministry’s annual report revealed Friday.
The analysis was released ahead of March 21 for International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
The ministry said racist acts, mainly in the form of abuse, insults, provocations, and public defamation of people from African countries or minority backgrounds, were seldom reported.
According to France’s human rights commission, racism often manifests through forms of subtle rejection and is largely underreported.
The study said over 12,000 racist crimes were registered by the police and the gendarmerie.
Of those, 6,300 offenses were found to be in the high- or medium-level crime category.
The total number of incidents jumped 16% compared to 2020.