Belgium must shut down anti-immigrant website: NGOs

A network of European anti-racism groups urged the Belgian government on Wednesday to shut down a far-right website inciting people to denounce crimes committed by illegal immigrants.

The European Network Against Racism (ENAR) charged that the website set up by the Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) party “recalls Gestapo practices” and represents a call for hatred and violence.

“We call on the Belgian government to disable this website and to strongly condemn actions inciting to hatred directed at specific groups,” said ENAR chairman Chibo Onyeji.

“This is crucial to ensure that Europe remains — also for our children and grandchildren — an inclusive place for all, where everyone can participate on an equal basis,” he said.

The website allows people to file anonymous tip-offs of alleged social security fraud, work on the black market and more serious crimes.

“This website is thoughtless, but more dangerously, it deliberately targets groups on the basis of their national or ethnic origin. Anybody could be targeted because he/she is black or looks North African,” ENAR said in a statement.

Vlaams Belang leader Filip Dewinter said Tuesday that the website was necessary because of the presence of “tens of thousands of illegal immigrants” in Belgian cities and the problems that they cause.

A similar website caused a furore when it was set up by the far-right Freedom Party (PVV) in the neighbouring Netherlands, but Prime Minister Mark Rutte, whose coalition government has PVV backing, refused to condemn it.

Titled “Report Middle and Eastern Europeans,” it asks people whether they have been annoyed by noise, drunkenness or squalor associated with migrant workers or lost jobs to them.

“These two initiatives are evidence that the far right is slowly being driven into a corner — these parties are ready to do anything to draw attention to themselves, including resorting to such extreme initiatives,” ENAR said.