Brussels, le 22/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - The new European Network Against Racism (ENAR) publication, presented on Wednesday 21 March in Brussels, explains that racism and racial discrimination are still widespread in Europe and are made worse, moreover, by the economic crisis “disproportionately” affecting migrants and ethnic minorities. The report was published on the International Day against Racial Discrimination and, unsurprisingly, notes that the economic crisis has reinforced fear among broad swathes of the public, thus inciting racist behaviour, and often also bringing budget cuts in activities devised to combat racism.
In 2010 and 2011, ENAR observed a general increase in unemployment, which had a particularly sharp impact on ethnic minorities. In Spain, the highest unemployment levels particularly affect migrants from Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa, with levels close to 50%.
Racist violence has been particularly marked in the United Kingdom, Hungary, Greece, Denmark and Poland, explains ENAR. In these countries, far right parties are experiencing growing success, following on from the Hungarian Jobbik party, which targets the Roma population.
ENAR explains that the Roma and also people from Africa, particularly those from sub-Saharan Africa, constitute the communities most vulnerable to racism in Europe. This vulnerability also applies to certain religious communities, such as Muslims, who are having to confront increasing levels of Islamophobia. This has been inflamed by populist speeches from political leaders and sections of the media. The phenomenon has been experienced in Denmark, Germany, Sweden and Spain. According to the report, Jewish communities are also having to confront increasingly anti-Semitic attitudes in Ireland, Spain, Poland and the Netherlands.
ENAR points out that racist behaviour and attitudes are generally and, once again unsurprisingly, found when it comes to accessing jobs, lodging, education and healthcare. Migrants and ethnic minorities are more often subject to police controls than nationals and are also often subject to police brutality. On this final point, ENAR is concerned at the over representation of ethnic minorities in the European prison population. In the Czech Republic, 30% of the prison population are Roma, although the Roma only account for 2% of the total population.
Far right
Finally, in another report published on the same day, ENAR tackles the increasing success of far right parties in Europe, such as the True Finns Party and the Dutch Freedom Party, as well as their greater acceptance in the institutional apparatus in some countries, such as in France. The report dissects the key points in their speeches, such as hostility to immigration, Islam, anti-Semitism or anti-Roma ideas, as well as hostility to Europe. These anti-EU or anti-euro positions are even becoming the prevailing themes in these different parties and according to the ENAR, could be used to greater success for these parties in the future. (SP/transl.fl)