• Home /
• News /
• 2017 /
• December /
• EU: Fundamental Rights Agency: "discrimination, intolerance and hatred across the EU" show failings in law and policy

EU: Fundamental Rights Agency: "discrimination, intolerance and hatred across the EU" show failings in law and policy

08 December 2017

EU  
Fundamental Rights Agency: "discrimination, intolerance and hatred across the EU" show failings in law and policy
8.12.17
Follow us: | | Tweet

---

A major new report from the EU's Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) shows that "immigrants, descendants of immigrants, and minority ethnic groups continue to face widespread discrimination across the EU and in all areas of life – most often when seeking employment." The findings of the report are based on a survey of 25,500 people of an immigrant or ethnic minority background in all 28 EU Member State.

See: Second European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey – Main results (pdf). Further documentation below.

FRA press release: The fight against discrimination and hate towards minorities still fails to deliver nearly 10 years on(pdf):

"Persisting widespread discrimination, intolerance and hatred across the EU threatens to marginalise and alienate many minority group members who otherwise feel largely attached to the country they live in and trust its institutions. These findings emerge from a major repeat survey by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA).

'Almost a decade ago we warned about the presence of large-scale ethnic discrimination and hatred. Today, these new results show that our laws and policies are inadequately protecting the people they are meant to serve,” says FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty. “With every act of discrimination and hate, we erode social cohesion and create inequalities that blight generations fuelling the alienation that may ultimately have devastating consequences.'

The Second European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey (EU-MIDIS II): main results report points to the need for specific and stronger measures to provide legal protection against discrimination coupled with effective sanctions. In addition, since 88% of ethnic discrimination, 90% of hate-motivated harassment and 72% of hate-motivated violence were not reported, much stronger outreach is needed to encourage victims to come report incidents, while law enforcement and equality bodies need the right tools to deal with these reports effectively.

Some of the other key findings include:

• 38% of respondents were discriminated against over the last five years with North Africans (45%), Roma (41%) and Sub-Saharan Africans (39%) particularly affected. Discrimination was greatest when it came to looking for work (29%).
• 31% of second-generation immigrant respondents experienced hate-motivated harassment in the last year. 50% of these victims were harassed at least six times in that year;
• Fewer minority members (61%) completed at least upper secondary education compared to the general population (74%). This reduces their employment chances.

The results also indicate a higher level of trust in public institutions than the general population with a majority feeling strongly attached to the country they live in. They are also largely open towards other ethnic groups.

However, the impact of discrimination, harassment or violence is also clearly shown. Those who have been victims trust public institutions less and feel less attached to the country they live in."

And see (pdfs)

• Second European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey (EU-MIDIS II): Muslims - Selected findings
• Second European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey: Roma - Selected findings
• Technical report

Further documentation and information is available on the FRA website. See in particular the useful: Data explorer (FRA, link)

Search our database for more articles and information or subscribe to our mailing list for regular updates from Statewatch News Online.