(MENAFN) Finland has recorded an unprecedented number of hate crimes in 2025, with nearly 70% of incidents reportedly motivated by the victims’ ethnic or national background, local media reported on Monday.

According to a report from the Police University College, the number of suspected hate crimes has risen steadily since around 2020, with most cases involving verbal insults, threats, or harassment.

This year, suspected hate crime cases reached a record high, with police documenting 1,808 incidents, marking a 13% increase compared to 2023.

The report noted that the majority of these crimes were racially motivated, with almost 70% of the cases linked to the victims’ ethnic or national origin.

"The Finnish Criminal Code does not include the criminal categories of hate crime or hate speech, but hate motive is a basis for increasing the punishment. Therefore, any act that is defined by legislation as a crime can be a hate crime," said the Police University College.

Jenita Rauta, a researcher at the university, highlighted that victims’ disability, sexual orientation, or religious background were also factors in hate crime reports from last year.

"The trend is concerning. In my opinion, the increase in hate crimes against people with disabilities reflects, for example, a broader societal polarization in which those in vulnerable positions are targeted," Rauta said.

The report indicated that Syrians living in Finland, particularly Muslims, were among the most frequently targeted groups, with many of the suspected crimes occurring online.

MENAFN11112025000045017281ID1110325512