Racism cases in France jumped 32% in 2023 — report

Cases of racism in France have jumped 32 percent in 2023, according to a Human Rights Commission report.

Tolerance for all minority groups in France fell in 2023, particularly for the Jewish community, and Muslims are the least-tolerated group, the French National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (CNCDH) said in a report.

Racist cases increased 32 percent in 2023 according to the Interior Ministry, the report added.

The figures can have multiple factors, including Israeli attacks on Gaza since Oct. 7, and polarising debates on asylum and migration, the CNCDH added, noting that 1 million people were subjected to at least one racist attack in 2023, according to the statistical office’s figures.

More than half of the French, 51 percent, consider “not feeling at home anymore in France,” a rise of eight points compared to the spring of 2022, said the report.

It noted that 56 percent of the French, seven points higher than in the spring of 2022, confirm “too many immigrants in France.”

Political shake-up

The figures reflect the recent context on the political and social atmosphere, with the rise of the far-right National Rally (RN) party, which received more than 30 percent of the vote in the European Parliament elections in June.

RN’s victory pushed French President Emmanuel Macron to acknowledge his centrist bloc’s defeat, dissolve parliament, and announce snap elections.

RN leader Jordan Bardella said the party will focus on migration, stressing that the problem is placing an “unbearable weight” on “public finances and the social security system.”

He vowed to curb migration into France, end birthright citizenship, implement legal changes to make it easier to deport foreigners convicted of crimes and take measures to address economic issues.

The elections will be held in two rounds - the first on June 30 and the second on July 7.