Racism

The Brussels Capital Region is committed to a society where all citizens are treated equally, without distinction. And yet: too many Brussels residents are still discriminated against on the basis of their so-called race, skin colour, nationality, descent and national or ethnic origin.

For victims of racism, the way to education, training, work, housing, mobility, health care, public services, leisure, culture and sport is blocked. Denying them these rights hinders their daily lives.

You can be born in a foreign country and not have Belgian nationality, or be Belgian but born abroad, or even be born in Belgium to Belgian parents: in all these cases you can be burdened by racial hatred. Indeed, anyone who wants to talk about racism cannot ignore the fact that numerous Brussels residents with Belgian nationality are invariably reduced to their supposed foreign 'origin'.

According to Unia's 2017 annual report, the number of reports is increasing. Federally, the number of individual files filed by Unia increased by 5.8% across the band, while racism files and discrimination files based on alleged race increased by 12%. Most of the files received by Unia concerned discrimination based on racial criteria, followed by those related to religion or belief.

As the capital of Europe, Brussels is a crossroads and melting pot with a rich cultural, economic and social history. Its population density is high. The city is populated by diverse social categories, with an important inflow from all corners of the globe: from other regions of this country, from Europe and from other continents. Thus, today the Region has more than 183 nationalities, with a high proportion of young adults. This diversity also constitutes a real capital that can contribute to the prosperity of our Region. Belgians and others, all these citizens make the Brussels-Capital Region what it is. More than ever, the Region wants to guarantee equal opportunities.