A/72/287 as security, migration and integration in order to counter the rise o f right-wing populist parties. 4 Rise of racist and xenophobic speech 12. The Special Rapporteur expresses concern that another trend which has intensified globally following recent terrorist attacks is the proliferation of anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric, both in politics and the media. Populist parties, in particular, try to gain support and attract voters by capitalizing on constituents’ fears over the financial burdens of migration and perceptions that foreigners are overrepresented in crime, take resources and jobs away from nationals, pose a threat to national identity or have religious practices that are incompatible with modern societies. 5 13. In the 2017 elections of one European country, a right-wing populist party gained seats in parliament after running a campaign dominated by anti -Islam slogans, calling for a halt to Muslim immigration, the closure of mosques and a ban on the Qur’an. 6 Another right-wing populist party in Europe has suggested in parliament that immigrants should celebrate local religious holidays in order to become part of the nation. 7 In one South Pacific country, a nationalist far-right party ran a political campaign that utilized anti-Muslim rhetoric. The party made unexpectedly large gains in the 2016 parliamentary elections, resulting in greater bargaining power vis-à-vis the ruling party. 8 14. The Special Rapporteur is concerned that racist and xenophobic speech has increasingly entered the mainstream discourse, a phenomenon that is mirrored in various regions of the world. In one Eastern European country, the Government and the national media initiated a public campaign against Muslims and foreigners. In 2015, the Government launched so-called “national consultations” by asking households to complete a survey on immigration and terrorism. The campaign was widely criticized for linking migration with terrorism and for its suggestive questions that actively promoted hostility and xenophobia. The results of the survey were subsequently used for an anti-immigrant billboard campaign. In addition, constitutional amendments were introduced to enshrine the Christian character of the nation. 9 Xenophobic rhetoric was also on the rise in another Eastern European country, with refugees being described as a dangerous threat to public health. 10 15. Political actors in one Middle Eastern country have frequently associated the country’s minority and their political aspirations in the region with radical Islam. 11 Similarly, political and religious actors in several Asian countries have promoted negative portrayals of Muslim ethnic minorities by linking them to terrorist groups or depicting them as dangerous and foreign invaders. 12 __________________ 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 17-13397 European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, The European Union as a Community of Values: Safeguarding Fundamental Rights in Times of Crisis (Luxembourg, Publications Office of the European Union, 2013), p. 17. Ibid. See https://perma.cc/T8PU-Z7HL; https://perma.cc/FCL3-7ZE3. See https://perma.cc/9MJ4-W6MC. See https://perma.cc/BV5Q-AS42; https://perma.cc/VT6L-DUH4. Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, “Fact-finding meeting: Hate motivated incidents targeting migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers in the OSCE region”, December 2015, p. 4. See also https://perma.cc/D57P9D4M. See goo.gl/MedFUj. See https://perma.cc/76SD-KUT3; https://perma.cc/948C-5U6F. See https://perma.cc/VJ9C-GYYR; https://perma.cc/R82Z-E8RN. 5/23