Racist and Xenophobic Incidents in France More Than Double in 2019, Interior Ministry Reports

The number of racist and xenophobic acts has soared in France in 2019, with 1,142 recorded incidents, compared to 496 in 2018, an increase of 130%, the Ministry of the Interior announced on Sunday, January 26. These acts mainly fall under the "threats" category.

On the side of anti-Muslim acts, their number in 2019, "relatively low", stands at 154, i.e. 63 actions and 91 threats, up from 2018, with 100 recorded incidents (+54%). "The majority of the actions concern attacks on religious property," the authorities said.

Anti-Semitic acts are much more numerous, with 687 incidents recorded last year: 151 actions and 536 threats, compared to 541 in 2018. "The increase in anti-Semitic acts in 2019 is exclusively due to the increase in threats, up 50% compared to 2018, while the actions have decreased by 15%. The most serious acts, attacks on individuals, are even in sharp decline, by 44%," the ministry explains. Regarding anti-Christian acts, their number is "stable over the year", with 1,052 incidents recorded (996 actions and 56 threats).

In addition, a national cell to fight hate crimes, called ASTREE and attached to the Directorate General of the National Gendarmerie, has been created and is "specifically responsible for combating anti-Semitic hatred, coordinating investigations into acts committed in the Bas-Rhin department and throughout the territory".