PARIS
Racist, xenophobic, and religious-based hate crimes and offenses increased by 32% in France in 2023 compared to the previous year.
According to a report released by the Interior Ministry's Statistics Service (SSMSI) on Wednesday, police and gendarmerie forces recorded 8,500 crimes based on the victim's ethnicity, nationality, or religion last year.
According to the report, 6,400 of these crimes ended up in fines.
It noted that 61% of racist crimes classified as high- and medium-level crimes involved insults, provocations, or public humiliation.
The eastern Bas-Rhin and southern Alpes-Maritimes regions had the highest number of victims of racism in 2023 and 2022, said the report.
The majority of the victims were men aged 25-54, and foreigners of African origin, the report added.