The European Network Against Racism (ENAR), an advocacy group for equality and solidarity in Europe, has condemned the “hate speech against the EU Commissioner for  Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström, NGOs in Malta, and asylum seekers.

It was referring to the incidents that occurred after the NGOs  and the Commissioner on 5 and 6 August called for the immediate and safe disembarkation of 102 migrants aboard the tanker MT Salamis.”

In a statement, the ENAR noted that “many individuals published racist and abusive comments  on social media, several of them targeting the Commissioner personally.”

The ENAR said that online hate speech “is a violation of human rights.”

“We urge governments to reinforce legislation to monitor hate on the internet, and to adopt a zero tolerance policy to stigmatising comments likely to incite violence, racism, or other forms of discrimination,” the statement said.