Interior minister hopes to tackle growth of racism

Following reports detailing a sharp rise in anti-Semitic and racist hate crimes in Belgium, interior minister Joëlle Milquet has called for a collective and governmental response to the issue. Milquet last week told parliament she would strengthen the monitoring of anti-Semitism in Belgium through the work of the Centre for Equality of Opportunity, which recently reported on a worrying trend of increasing hate crime towards minority groups. The centre, which includes representatives from the police and the courts as well as many minority groups, holds monthly meetings. Milquet also stressed that 2014, which she intends to make the Year of Respect, would concentrate on “diversity and the respect of all philosophies and religions”.