‘Pervasive and relentless’ racism on the rise in Europe, survey finds
GuardianOct 25, 2023
A study published Wednesday by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights revealed that in the six years since its prior study, the number of respondents who said they felt racial discrimination in the past 12 months rose by 10 percentage points to 34%.
In particular, anti-Black racism has been on the rise, with 46% of first and second-generation Black immigrants in 13 EU countries saying they’ve experienced various types of discrimination.
More must be done to address these disturbing results, particularly in Germany and Austria, where racism runs rampant. The rise of far-right political parties in those countries is disturbing, and more must be done to educate people and foster acceptance to make these countries more safe and equitable.
Although the results of this study are disappointing, the full impact of actions taken by EU countries to eliminate racism since 2020 might not have been felt yet. More than a dozen countries have adopted a national action plan for racism, while others are still developing their own. Hopefully, the results will show that the EU is beginning to turn things around.