Rabat – Out of the 1,802 hate crimes reported in Spain in 2021, 181 were made against Morocco nationals, according to a new report from the Spanish interior ministry.
Moroccans are by far the largest group of foreigners suffering from hate crimes in Spain, with almost 10% of crimes being perpetrated against them.
They are followed by Colombian nationals at 3% of all hate crime victims, and Venezuelan nationals at 2%.
The report further reveals that out of the 181 Moroccans victims to hate crimes, 16 were minors, and 37 belonged to the 18-25 age group.
The bulk of Moroccan hate crime victims, 83 cases, are aged between 26 and 40, the report specifies. In the same year, hate crimes also targeted 26 Moroccans aged between 41 and 50 and 18 between the ages of 51 and 65, the report adds.
Regarding the perpetrators of the attacks, the report details that almost 75% of individuals arrested and investigated for hate crimes in 2021 were Spanish nationals.
Moroccans also feature on the list of individuals arrested on charges of hate crimes in the same year. 50 Moroccan nationals were arrested and investigated on charges of hate crimes, making up 24% of the total arrests.
By type of hate crime, xenophobia and racism topped the list of hate crimes in 2021, with more than 600, noting a year-on-year increase of 31%. Hate crimes induced by gender or sexual orientation came next with 466 cases, with an annual increase of 68%.
Spain is currently the host of the largest Moroccan community in Europe. As of January 2022, more than 880,000 Moroccans were legally residing in the European country.
Xenophobia and racism continue to be growing concerns in Europe, as the continent has been witnessing a resurgence of far-right politicians and ideologies.
On September 26, Italians elected Giorgia Meloni as their new prime minister, with some calling her “the most far-right since Mussolini.” Earlier this year, France’s elections also saw a rise in electoral support for Marie Le Pen’s far-right party compared to the elections in 2017.
Many worry that the election of far-right leaders in European countries will embolden more hate crimes against racial and religious minorities, as well as immigrants.
Since 2016, far-right terrorism has been bolstered in the west, triggered mainly by the anti-migrant sentiments that became widespread after the Arab spring and the following rise in the flow of migrants and refugees from the Middle East to Europe.
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