HATE CRIMES SURGE IN CANADA DURING PANDEMIC

TORONTO Canada has experienced a sharp rise in hate crimes targeting religion, sexual orientation and race since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data released this week by Statistics Canada.

Canada, which prides itself as a diverse and welcoming country for immigrants and refugees, has witnessed a 72-per-cent jump in its hate crime rate between 2019 and 2021, said Statistics Canada.

This increase was partly due to the pandemic, which exposed and exacerbated safety and discrimination issues. Chinese-Canadians reported increased discrimination due to Wuhan, China, being the centre of the virus. The World Health Organization said in June that its latest investigation into the origins of COVID-19 was inconclusive, largely because data from China are missing.

In 2021, hate-motivated crimes targeting religion jumped 67 per cent, those targeting sexual orientation climbed 64 per cent and those targeting race or ethnicity rose 6 per cent.

“We simply cannot afford further delay in actions to stop anti-Asian hate and racism,” Amy Go, the president of the Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice, said.

The council has asked the federal government to pass an Anti-Racism Act to collect specific information about the culprits, where the crime takes place and the circumstances under which it occurs to hold those responsible accountable. Ms. Go said the government is reviewing the request. The Canadian government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Mohammed Hashim, executive director of Canadian Race Relations Foundation, has recommended the federal government invest $15-million to help hate-crime victims.

“This is unacceptable because hate can forever damage peoples’ ability to participate in society,” Mr. Hashim said.