RACIALLY-motivated hate crimes will soon outnumber sectarian incidents in Northern Ireland, according to Stormont's new racial equality strategy.
The long-awaited blueprint for tackling racism says there has been a significant increase in racially motivated hate crime and incidents over the last two years.
The report commissioned by the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister (OFDFM) says the rise may be due to heightened awareness among victims of such crimes but warns that if the trend continues, racist motivated hate crime will become more frequent than sectarian motivated crime.
The findings come days ahead of an OFDFM initiative which will see Syrian refugees welcomed to the north.
A first group of 50 people are due to arrive on December 15 and will be resettled in Belfast followed by a second group who will be housed in Derry.
The report, while vague in how the strategy's aims will be achieved over the next decade, hopes to ensure equal access to public services by people from minority ethnic backgrounds.
Other 'outcomes' include the elimination of prejudice, racism and hate crime, along with "increased participation, representation and belonging".
The strategy also calls for cultural diversity to be celebrated, so the rights of people from minority ethnic backgrounds maintain their culture and traditions and to pass them on to subsequent generations.
Peter Robinson said the north had become increasingly multicultural and that the strategy was OFMDFM's acknowledgement of the positive contribution minority ethnic groups made to the region's economic, public, political, social and cultural life.
He said it was vital to tackle any racial inequalities faced by minority communities in their daily lives.
"We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to ensure ethnic minority people living and working among us will not be subjected to racially motivated acts of violence," he said.
Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said society needed to create a place where people can "live, learn, socialise and work together regardless of race or ethnicity".
"Government alone cannot and will not eradicate racism and racial inequalities," he said.
"There are already many people and organisations who are doing powerful work in their neighbourhoods, places of worship and workplaces to tackle racism."
The Equality Commission welcomed agreement on a racial equality strategy, saying it was "progress towards the important tasks of promoting racial equality and tackling racist hate crime in this society".
