US Group Claims Hate Crime Rising in Europe

Hate crimes have increased sharply over the last decade throughout Europe, according to a lengthy report by a US-based human rights group.

The 2007 Hate Crime Survey by Human Rights First, out tomorrow, records a rising tide of attacks against Muslims, Jews, gays and lesbians.

It notes rises in recent years in the UK, France, Germany, the Russian Federation and Ukraine. "In France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, governments have made serious efforts to combat hate crimes in recent years, although more needs to be done," the report says.

Human Rights First, which is based in New York and Washington, adds that there was a dramatic rise in racist and religiously-motivated violence in the UK after the London bombings in 2005.

"Overall, in 2006, hate crimes in the United Kingdom continued at a historically high rate."

On attacks on Jews, it says: "antisemitism, a particularly pernicious form of racism and religious intolerance, has persisted at a high level throughout Europe and North America, while tending to surge in response to international events involving Israel."

Anti-semitic incidents in the UK in 2006 rose dramatically, with the highest annual toll since the collection of statistics began in 1984.

Muslims too have suffered according to the data. "In 2006, discrimination and violence against Muslims persisted throughout much of Europe. Though the number of registered incidents decreased from a peak level in 2005, after the subway bombings in London, the number of violent incidents remains high."