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You are here: Home Life in News Focus Reflecting on tolerance and equal rights

15/03/2007Reflecting on tolerance and equal rights

Research Europe-wide shows that discrimination and racism is a growing problem. We take a look at the full picture.

 

After the annual Europe-wide Action Week Against Racism (AWAR) last month, organisers called for all Europeans to reflect on issues such as tolerance and equal rights. The campaign, run by United For Intercultural Action (UFIA), aims to spotlight the issue of racism and discrimination from a non-governmental perspective.

"Discrimination and racism are dangerously growing today in different forms all over Europe," says 'Paola' of UFIA.

This is demonstrated by EUMC figures showing that immigrants, especially Muslims, are over-represented in low-paying sectors of the economy. Immigrants also tend to be disproportionately represented in areas with poorer housing conditions, and often fail to meet educational standards. Their unemployment rates are higher than average.

"Roma are a particular target for racist violence and crime...Members of the Jewish community continue to experience anti-Semitic incidents. Rising 'Islamophobia' is an issue of particular concern. In effect, in spite of some heartening examples of good practice, I stand here today unable to say that there has been a substantial improvement with regard to racism and xenophobia in the EU Member States," said Anastasia Crickley, Chairperson of the EUMC Management Board.

Housing

Housing has become an area of particular concern for antidiscrimination advocates as more and more advertisements are explicitly rejecting foreigners. Expressions such as "no foreigners" or "no immigrants accepted" have been found in newspapers in Spain, Italy and France. Although this is punishable by law, it does not appear to have acted as a deterrent.

In Germany, some housing companies attempt to find the right “mixture” between Germans and immigrants. They have introduced a threshold of no more than 20 percent of foreigners by each apartment complex.

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