Sint-Niklaas (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The residents of Sint-Niklaas have access to a local reporting point, which receives reports about discrimination and intimidation incidents. The physical reporting point functions as a gateway to transfer complaints to qualified organisations, which will handle them.
Organizations in Sint-Niklaas have established physical locations where residents can report discrimination and intimidation to seek assistance more locally. The reporting point functions as a bridge between victims and the proper organizations including Unia and the Flemish Human Rights Organization and the police.
The project works to eliminate reporting challenges and enhance database collection of abusive conduct. Within the Welfare House building residents can access the reporting point which provides space free of judgment for people who want to speak about their experiences and obtain guidance.
Going to the police is often seen as a barrier, which is why we decided to set up a local reporting point for discrimination and intimidation,
says Alderman for Welfare Kristof Van Gansen (CD&V).
We want to lower the threshold for reporting discrimination and better map out the various forms of transgressive behavior,
the city says.
Then, it can be decided whether to file a complaint with the competent authorities such as the police, Unia, or the Flemish Human Rights Organisation.
Anyone who wants to report discrimination or sexual harassment can contact us,
says Amber De Meyer of the Welfare House.
We listen to your story without judgement. If you want to make an official report of what you have experienced, we can also help with this.
What prompted Sint-Niklaas to establish a discrimination reporting point?
Sint-Niklaas introduced its new reporting functionality to respond to citizen concerns that discrimination and harassment had grown across Belgium. Unia registered a 12% increase in 2022 discrimination cases, with racism and disability-based discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals and disability-based prejudice as the main reported grievances.
Three out of five residents in Flanders documented discrimination occurrences, while 30% reported discrimination to official channels, where authorities underestimated the actual discrimination rate. The 2021 Sint-Niklaas local survey showed that four out of ten residents avoided notifying the police about incidents because they faced difficulties with bureaucracy and wanted confidential reporting.
The municipal reporting facilities in Ghent and Antwerp proved their utility by boosting documented case numbers through a 40% increase. This initiative supports the Federal Anti-Discrimination Action Plan (2023-2027) by encouraging Belgian communities to develop local approaches for reporting discrimination.
