In Austria, 1,647 racist attacks were recorded in 2024, with 61% of them taking place in online environments. The civil society organization, Anti-Racism Work and Civil Response (ZARA), which has been documenting racist attacks for over 20 years in the country, shared the "2024 Racism Report" with the public.
According to the report, racist attacks increased from 1,302 in 2023 to 1,647 last year, with 61% occurring on "digital platforms" and 39% in various social settings.
The "internet" became the environment where the most racist attacks occurred, with 1,009 cases. The second most frequent place for racist attacks was "public spaces" at 13%. Last year, 11% of the attacks took place in the "entertainment and service" sectors, and 6% occurred in "public institutions." Other areas of social life accounted for 8% of the incidents.
79% of the racist attacks were reported by witnesses, while 21% were reported by the victims themselves. This ratio reflects the sentiment that "even if we document this or report it to the police, we won't get any results."
"Lack of effective complaint mechanisms for victims" ZARA director Rita Isiba, in her presentation of the report, stated that this year's report focused more on discriminatory, marginalizing, and racist approaches in the healthcare sector.
Isiba mentioned that the report highlights how migrants and people of migrant origin are often not taken seriously in medical institutions, their complaints are ignored, and their pain is dismissed as insignificant. She stated, "When racism determines the quality of a person's medical care, it can lead to life-threatening situations. Our studies show that victims lack effective complaint mechanisms and protection measures."
Isiba emphasized that the cases documented in the Racism Report indicate a structural problem rather than exceptional circumstances. She stressed that in order to combat this, policymakers need to take consistent measures, and civil society's contribution is crucial.
