1 in 5 cases at SOS Racisme in 2023 were for discrimination in social rights

More than one in five (22%) of new cases taken on by SOS Racisme in 2023 involved discrimination in accessing and exercising social rights. 

This makes this type of incident the most numerous for the first time, according to the anti-racist organization's latest report. 

There were 79 instances of social rights discrimination in total, ten more than in 2022. Out of those, 28 were taken forward, while 51 were, in the end, not reported to police.   

Overall in 2023, the organization served 628 people from more than 83 different municipalities in Catalonia. 

A majority of those, 446 cases, were people or groups who approached SOS Racisme for the first time.  

The organization agreed that racism was evident in 332 of the situations reported to them, which eventually led to 130 new cases being taken forward and lodged with police, 20 more than in 2022. 

Adding the 182 cases still being investigated from previous years, 312 cases were dealt with in 2023. 

Of the 332 racist incidents identified by the group's Attention and Complaint Service (SAiD), it was not possible to make a formal complaint in 202 cases. 

The reasons for the drop-off include people giving up on the process, not being able to locate the victim, or that the person lived outside Catalonia. 

The figures are similar to those of the last two years. In 2021, there was a sharp increase to 330 cases, compared to 185 in 2020. The organization deemed 114 situations reported to them did not involve racism. 

Social rights, discrimination between individuals and police racism 

Looking at the 130 new cases taken on last year, 28 were due to discrimination in access to social rights, 22% of the total. In second place were attacks and discrimination between individuals, with 25 cases (19%). In third place there were 24 situations involving abuse by police and public security forces (18%). 

Discrimination due to access to private services was observed in 16 cases (12%) and six assaults by private security were counted (5%). There were 14 cases of hate speech (11%) and 10 involving employment discrimination (8%). There were seven situations of discrimination in the provision of public services (5%).